<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>In The Depths of Asora by Susimau</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28726146">In The Depths of Asora</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Susimau/pseuds/Susimau'>Susimau</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Asorazey [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ATEEZ (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Air Pilot!Hongjoong, Alternate Universe - Robots &amp; Androids, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Anal Sex, Angst, Brother!Yunho, Eventual Smut, Feelings Realization, M/M, Mechanic!Jongho, Pathfinder!San, Prince!Yeosang, Sidekick!Mingi, Social Issues, prince!seonghwa, royal guard!wooyoung</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:48:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>44,417</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28726146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Susimau/pseuds/Susimau</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jongho, a rogue from Zey, a man of little words and even less hesitation. He teams up with Yeosang, the crown prince's younger brother with stars in his eyes and gentle hands.</p><p>The two of them are taking on their most dangerous mission yet. Climb down into the chasm to find whatever it takes to unify their split city.</p><p>Enter all dangers possibly imaginable.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Kang Yeosang, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Asorazey [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063241</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>187</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>185</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Wishful Thinking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A week.</p><p>A week since the plan that Yeosang had yet to learn its full consequences of had passed. A week ever since Yeosang's fear, the death of the crown prince of Asora, and the determination of a certain acquaintance from Zey had pushed him into forming a pact with Jongho.</p><p>In the dark hours in Zey, while he waited for their murderous trip to start, Yeosang wondered a lot.</p><p>He wondered how the palace was doing, if anybody would miss him there, or if he would be forgotten faster than a star fell from the skies.</p><p>He wondered what Jongho thought about him, and their plans, and anything regarding the 'Chasm', as he called it.</p><p>And most of all, he wondered how Asora had been so blind towards Zey.</p><p>Zey was nothing more than a sullen hole of sordidness. Disease clung to its corners and delivered agony and death to any person. Fresh food was a rarity, and the number of bodies that lined the streets after dying of starvation or from the cold was depressing. The whole city was bathed in something sinister, in a pool of black despair that gnawed at its inhabitants like vultures on a bone. The stench of rancid water that filled the gutters and wouldn't run off gave the whole inner city a note of human faeces. Paired with the poisonous smog it created air that Yeosang would force no human to breathe in.</p><p>Dejected faces, ripped clothing, drug-infested alleys. Zey oozed with abject misery, and Yeosang’s heart ached for every single person he saw here. The old women with bones jutting from their nearly transparent skin; the men who guided the shovels in the mines that were heard clanking in the distance all day; and the children with their broken and lifeless eyes that played in the mud.</p><p>Yeosang saw them all. He saw each of their individual faces that barely stood out from the monochrome grey walls. He saw their pain and their suffering, their ignorance and their bitterness.</p><p>What he didn’t see was hope.</p><p>In all of Zey, not a single speck of hope bloomed. It had suffocated under grey concrete and the clouds of smog.</p><p>On some days, he wanted to go out there and take each and every person’s hands to assure them he would try his utmost best to ease their pain. But whenever he glanced at Jongho, he knew that all attempts would be futile. Zey’s people didn’t want help. And Zey’s people would rip Yeosang apart if they knew who he was.</p><p>Yeosang had never been near Zey before a week ago, but even within those seven days he spent living with Jongho in his grimy little room, he soaked up the hatred against Asora like a sponge. The view from here was befuddled with rightful distaste. Yeosang finally understood why Jongho was such an aloof and brusque fellow. Zey was filled with the common rocks they brought from their mines. Asora was the place where much attention and care made those rocks to shimmering gems of nethicite.</p><p>Jongho worked a lot.</p><p>With how often they had met, Yeosang was by now keenly aware of the man’s shady occupation that kept him busy all day long. Most times he went out himself to run errands and bring things from one person to another. On rare days, he went out with other people. Mingi, sometimes, then some young man with dark hair. Sometimes strangers.</p><p>Jongho had sworn to Yeosang that he merely had an extremely busy schedule right now since he prepared for their trip, but the librarian knew that every day in Jongho’s life was like this. Running with no end in sight. Because once he stopped running, Zey’s shadowy fingers would rip his soul right out of his chest.</p><p>Yeosang stayed at home most of the time. He familiarised himself with Jongho’s hobby - tinkering with metal scrap and building things from it. The little bird that he had named Bricky - because he was so brave - had come from this very working bench and the long night hours that Jongho’s fingers had spent putting everything in place.</p><p>Beyond impressed, Yeosang used the bench as a stable platform whenever Jongho was out, and he got some writing done. His short visit to Zey made his characters vivid and glisten with personality.</p><p>One time when Yeosang curiously opened all of the few books in Jongho’s humble cupboard, he found a picture of the whole family on the first page of one of them. It showed four men and one woman, the youngest clearly being Jongho himself. On that picture - as grey and hopeless as the background was - Jongho’s cheeks were still round with youth and his eyes burned with steely strength. He had kept the strength, but his cheeks had lost all of their sweet childishness.</p><p>Yeosang had carried it over to Jongho who worked on some sort of weapon in the still night of Zey. He had glanced at it only once before he began to explain with that low voice of his.</p><p>“The woman is my mother, as you can guess. The one on the left is my dad. The guy with the gigglemug is my older brother.” In the time he went back to work, Yeosang sat down on the bed with the black and white picture on his lap.</p><p>“Your mother looks very kind. And your dad very afternoonified. Your brother has a very… brotherly face.”</p><p>A stab of pain at the memory of Seonghwa had penetrated his heart. Saddened, he clutched the photo tighter.</p><p>He and Seonghwa had no pictures together. They weren’t allowed to.</p><p>“She was indeed. And my father loved to read. Yunho made every day to a benjo.”</p><p>Jongho wasn’t very talkative, but Yeosang appreciated every bit of information the mysterious man shared with him. In a vital corner of his brain, Yeosang remembered them well.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you miss them?”</p><p>Silence had wrapped around them when Jongho wordlessly continued to work on his cogs. Only when Yeosang already stood up to put the picture away, he replied. His answer was husky and muffled by his hunched form.</p><p>“Sometimes.”</p><p>Yeosang put the picture back into the book and left it where he had found it in the cupboard. Not only Jongho had been reminded of his family that day, but also Yeosang. While Jongho pushed the thoughts off to work, Yeosang laid down on the bed and let his memories consume him.<br/>
Happier days with Seonghwa by his side filled his mind. Sometimes his mother was there, only ever his, never Seonghwa’s. Yeosang barely knew Seonghwa’s mother. She was very sick, and only the doctors ever went to see her.</p><p>Seonghwa had always had less of a gigglemug. He had never been a churchbell. Ever since he was young, Seonghwa had been trained to sit in an orderly manner and with a straight back. He told Yeosang about the etiquette he had to follow every day at dinner with their father, the king, and his royal advisors. About how his every step got documented, and mishaps were punished with force.</p><p>If there was one thing that Yeosang had ever appreciated about Seonghwa despite their differences, then it was his resilience. Not even once had Seonghwa given up or allowed his spirit to be broken. During all that time, he had worked towards his own goals and been the best role model Yeosang could wish for.</p><p>With him gone, Yeosang felt as if there was nobody left. He and Jongho were different like moon and sun. The new guard that was assigned to him, Wooyoung, he barely knew him.</p><p>His mother was long dead, and all he had of her was the drawing in his notebook.</p><p>Yeosang was lost in the world, but Seonghwa had taught him not to accept defeat. To honour that, Yeosang would finish what he started. And that story was one he would share with Jongho.</p><p>Jongho, who tended to overdo things.</p><p>The abundance of provisions and money he gathered within a week was rather butter upon bacon in Yeosang’s opinion. Like a dragon hoarding his riches in a dark tower, Jongho came back with so many goods to fill their duffels with, that Yeosang started to wonder whether the weight of the bags might be the thing that dragged them down into the abyss.</p><p>He didn’t infer with the other man’s work, though. Contrary to Yeosang, Jongho knew what he was doing as he prepared. As usual, Yeosang remained quiet in his designated corner. He watched the man instead. Jongho was different from all the other people Yeosang associated with. He might even go as far and call him his closest and most interesting friend at the moment.</p><p>His ways fascinated Yeosang, and his curiosity never ceased in the time he spent around him. If one of the characters in his book maybe changed just a bit more in the direction of a certain Zey boy, then Yeosang didn’t consciously notice.</p><p>Mingi came by their home on the seventh day.</p><p>He had a bunch of equipment with him that he dumped on Jongho’s desk as soon as he had strode in. With a groan, he rubbed his neck and only then greeted the other two men in the room.</p><p>“I got all you asked me to bring. Check it, and we might be able to start our descend tomorrow.”</p><p>Mingi dropped onto the bed next to Yeosang. In a gesture that was far too familiar for their current relationship, he threw an arm around Yeosang’s shoulders. Instead of pulling him close, though, he just rested there. His body was hot from the strain of his trip, and he smelled of sweat, but Yeosang didn’t mind. He felt useful for once, even just as an armrest while the other two discussed business.</p><p>“How’s it going? You nervous?”</p><p>Yeosang adjusted his shoulders until Mingi rested at a comfortable height. The man threw him a mischievous grin.</p><p>“Very. I’m not too big on climbing, and I don’t want to hold the two of you back. You seem far more competent than I could ever hope to be," Yeosang replied earnestly.</p><p>Jongho emptied the contents of the bag on his table. Clinking and clattering, the utensils came together in one heap. As he picked out random items that Yeosang couldn’t decipher the use of, Mingi reminded him to take care. Then, he turned back towards Yeosang.</p><p>“Don’t worry; we also don’t bang up to the elephant. If anything, all three of us will struggle during the exact same things. I hope we can find a good balance between us all. Literally.” With a laugh, he bent to retrieve another bag he had brought.</p><p>“I bought soup from the vendor at the corner, anybody hungry?”</p><p>Before either of the two men could reply, Mingi already stood to distribute their food. Jongho sent him a thankful glance that was mixed with a frown. His contradicting expression made Yeosang tilt his head curiously, but he had nothing to comment.</p><p>“Thanks, Mingi,” he called the man’s attention back to himself instead. He wanted to give Jongho some space to eat and work. After so many years alone in a room, Yeosang could imagine how exhausted Jongho must be from all the work and constant presence of Yeosang in his place. Since he was busy, Mingi might as well hang with Yeosang and don’t bother him. As predicted, Mingi came right back to sit next to Yeosang on the ground and lean his back against the bed. They unwrapped their soup and fell into a quiet conversation so they wouldn’t interrupt Jongho.</p><p>Mingi was a fun person to be around. He always had a joke or two to share, and his knowledge about Zey and life evoked deep respect from Yeosang. Compared to Jongho, he took things lighter and with more amusement to it, but he was no less savage and marred from their rough surroundings than Jongho was.</p><p>Yeosang quite liked the trio that they formed since they balanced each other well. The dynamic between the two Zey men also attracted him. Jongho was far softer and less guarded around Mingi, and sometimes, he regarded him with something akin to affection in his eyes. While Yeosang wouldn’t know if it was romantic interest or plain admiration for his close friend, he found himself happy that Jongho had someone he would look at like that. It took some of the loneliness and roughness of his life away.</p><p>The more Yeosang watched the two into the evening, the more signs he saw, too. The hair ruffles that Mingi gave Jongho; the curious eyes that Jongho lifted so high up to meet Mingi’s gaze; and the laughter they shared.</p><p>They looked at each other like brothers would. An enthralling concept, in Yeosang’s eyes, to find a brother of choice rather than one that was blood-related. But since he had no idea where Jongho’s actual brother was, he found Mingi’s bickering and Jongho’s faint smiles just as valid.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Descending</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Against Yeosang’s expectations that they would operate at night, Mingi told them to move on the day of their departure in the early afternoon. When Yeosang had curiously queried him about it, the tall man with the wild red hair that was held back by a pair of goggles grinned at him reassuringly.</p><p>“It’s for safety. The descend itself is difficult to execute during the night, but we will lodge in my house until the morning so we can go early. With the curfew in place so piercingly, we wouldn’t want to have a run-in with the Spheres. It will be fine.”</p><p>Yeosang wove through the cramped alleys of Zey behind the tall man. Like his personal shadow, Jongho was always behind him and kept an eye on their surroundings. One time, when a drunk woman nearly tumbled into Yeosang, he had yanked her away before she could do as much as graze his arm. With a threatening hiss to her face, Jongho shooed her off. In the grimy streets, Yeosang had never seen her again after she stalked off on wobbly heels.</p><p>Mingi’s house was buried in the ground connected to a long tunnel that led to the surface level. Yeosang didn’t need to ask to understand why proceeding from there made the most sense.</p><p>He barely slept that night. Even when Jongho called him out around midnight to stop tossing and turning and use his time wisely and sleep, Yeosang found no peace. Nightmares plagued his mind in the few hours that he slumbered. Nightmares about a man surrounded by wires and machines, with glassy, evil eyes.</p><p>When Mingi shook him away in the morning, Yeosang was exhausted, and his lids were heavy with tiredness. Jongho shook his head about him and told him to wash up before they left.</p><p>After all, the fear would wake Yeosang right back up.</p><p>Yeosang liked to think he wasn’t afraid of heights. If asked, he would reply that it was merely this canyon that had his fingers tremble and knees weaken. Nervously, he stayed far inside the dependable room while Mingi and Jongho prepared their gear. They had also given some items to Yeosang. Spiked shoes, fingerless gloves, and two axes that he could hook into the stone to stabilise his weight.</p><p>They wouldn’t rely on ropes attached to the house, and that fact frightened Yeosang more than anything else. If one of them fell, only jagged cliffs and darkness would greet them.</p><p>It was nearly scary with how much ease Jongho and Mingi perceived it. While Yeosang sat palely in the background with Bricky on his shoulder and fiddled with his thumbs, those two discussed their trip like today’s dinner. It was the Zey expertise, Yeosang supposed. His stomach was no help with how it cramped into anxious knots to the point of aches.</p><p>When Mingi ultimately motioned Yeosang to come over, the man swallowed harshly. He knew that this mission had developed from his ideas and that only he and his attempts to succeed Seonghwa were to blame that he stepped up to a deadly canyon right at this moment, but now the second thoughts caught up with him. Was the danger of a painful death worth it?</p><p>Yeosang didn’t even know what Seonghwa searched for. Was there anything for them to find outside of ragged cliffs and risks wherever they looked?</p><p>No, Yeosang didn’t want to doubt Seonghwa. His brother’s legacy was Yeosang’s sole purpose of life right now, and return home wasn’t possible anymore.</p><p>Thus, he stepped to the other two bravely. Jongho waited for them in the open door, and Yeosang saw something akin to respect show in his eyes when their gazes crossed.</p><p>“Don’t worry too much. We are nearby all the time, and we can take breaks on our descend.” With a smile, Mingi made sure that Yeosang's belt with axes sat correctly and also knelt to tighten the straps on his shoes that held the spikes there. Yeosang furiously blushed at having the tall man in such a position in front of him.</p><p>“I-I don’t know if the two of you care much, but the Chasm isn’t just a canyon, actually. Geographically speaking, it’s a gorge, since the walls are steep and don’t narrow further downward.” The random fact from his lessons came out of the blue and eased everyone’s tension when the two men snickered at Yeosang. Mingi got up onto his feet once Yeosang was clear.</p><p>“That’s good news; then we hopefully won’t get stuck!” Mingi meant to say it as a joke, but Yeosang’s blood still drained from his face at the thought of getting caught between two narrow stone walls with no way out.</p><p>“Don’t scare him, Mingi.”</p><p>Mingi’s boisterous laughter pleased Yeosang’s spirit, but it didn’t calm his body.</p><p>With a sigh, Jongho beckoned Yeosang closer. Once he neared, the other man lowered his muffled voice so that they wouldn’t get detected by any possible loiterers up above on the cliff.</p><p>“See, it’s just like last time. You grab onto the edges and pull yourself over. Your feet come before your hands. Always have a steady stance before you let go. If you panic or feel like there is no other way to hold on-” Jongho leaned towards the cliff right next to Mingi’s door. With one forceful kick, his foot met the wall and the metal tip embedded itself deeply in the gritstone. He could put his weight on it without problems.</p><p>“You try this. But don’t overdo it. Those knives aren’t super sharp, and they might slide off and hurt your bones if you aren’t careful.”</p><p>Not very reassured, Yeosang regarded Jongho’s gadgets. They wrapped snugly around his arm and leg like pieces of ancient armour and enhanced his every movement. Yeosang doubted he was strong enough to dig his foot into the wall.</p><p>Yet, he nodded out of the need to prove his abilities to keep up with them. Jongho copied the gesture. When he lowered his head to show Yeosang the first few steps, dark hair fanned over his forehead and fell into his eyes like a curtain that hid his identity. With his mask on, his face disappeared from sight nearly completely. Mysterious, just like everything about him.</p><p>Jongho smoothly slid down the wall without a single indication of instability or hesitation. As if he was born on those steep cliff walls, he lowered his body into the gaping abyss that awaited them below. Within a few minutes, he had disappeared far enough that Yeosang could only make out his head as a moving dot in the distance.</p><p>The little sunlight that streamed into the canyon from the light of day alleviated Yeosang, just as Mingi had predicted. The field of open air to their left was several hundred metres away from the point they were going down on. Yet, the noises of airships and the ocean sloshing down there trickled on Yeosang’s ears anyway.</p><p>Mingi gave him a little smile that tried to muster as much comfort as possible for the situation.</p><p>“Try to climb diagonally from him, so that no loose stones rain down on his head.”</p><p>Yeosang managed no more but a little noise in agreement. Only then he reached out his shaking fingers to grasp onto the stone wall.</p><p>The gritstone here made it relatively easy to find a hold. Compared to other stones or cliffs eroded over time by water masses, this wall had many opportunities and little edges to grasp. The stone was brittle, so Yeosang double-checked every single one of them he put his weight on. Only slowly, he inched from Mingi’s safe threshold and clung to the wall. His arms were in an unnatural position to his body to continue on properly, so he adjusted them before he commerced his slow descend. Soon, he lost sight of Mingi who hurried around to meet his last preparations.</p><p>By the time all of them hung on the wall, they formed a diagonal line. Jongho was far left and the furthest down, Yeosang followed more towards the middle, and Mingi held some distance to him on the right, but he was in earshot.</p><p>After the first few minutes of climbing, Yeosang calmed considerably. He found his balance and stopped shivering after some more breathing exercises. Quite proud of himself, he put his full attention on the act itself rather than his stray thoughts about falling to his death or getting stuck in between two walls.</p><p>Yeosang considered his movements to be quite slow, but he never lost sight of Jongho’s head, and Mingi also didn’t spur him to hurry.</p><p>But then again, where would they hurry? There was no certain goal to arrive at, and no time limit set in stone.</p><p>Bricky fluttered around them, dipping down into the gorge to greet Jongho with a trill, emerging to the windy seaside, and sometimes disappearing further back into the tight canyon that only narrowed further landward. When both sides had broken apart during that earthquake so many years ago, its scar had split the cliff open several kilometres long.</p><p>Yeosang wondered how deep it was. Surely, the bottom must meet the ocean and be filled with water, right? There, at last, would be the end of their journey.</p><p>Once they were a few dozen metres away from Mingi’s secret door, the red-haired man picked up their conversation again. His casual voice rumbled forebodingly in the depths.</p><p>“Tell me about you. Jongho had so many questions about you that he never got an answer for. I’m not as polite as him, I will ask.”</p><p>With a snicker, Yeosang lowered his foot onto another terrace. As he glanced down to verify that he didn’t kick any stones down on Jongho with that movement, he met the man’s gaze. Jongho had halted in his ministrations and took a little break while they came closer. Owlish, he blinked up at Yeosang. The boy focused back on the task at hand.</p><p>“There isn’t much to know about me. I wouldn’t know what kind of questions Jongho accumulated in his mind.”</p><p>The rough stone under his fingertips had ingrained its feeling into his mind so much already, that he would probably have dreams about it. It was so real, so much more sturdy and materialistic than the books and their knowledge in Asora. Despite it being the normal ground that they all walked on, Yeosang saw it with different eyes now that he was enclosed by it. The ground could be scary.</p><p>“May I be honest with you? I think the most intriguing one is the theory about you princes. As Seonghwa’s brother, aren’t you a prince?”</p><p>Yeosang faltered in his movements. By now, Jongho was in earshot, too, and something in Yeosang whispered at him to keep his mouth closed. He didn’t want Jongho to hear about this.</p><p>Yet, since they were his loyal friends that had helped him escape from the palace and protected his life at the current moment, Yeosang found it only fair to speak. It would be improper to leave their minds as fifteen puzzles.</p><p>“In theory, I would be. Not in reality, though. I might be Seonghwa’s brother by blood, but I am not considered a noble in the royal household. They only keep me around because my father is the king.”</p><p>Yeosang stared at the wall in front of him. At its little nooks and crannies, at the holes in it, and the seldom vegetation or insect that darted over it.</p><p>“I’m a misbegotten child. My mother is not the same person as Seonghwa’s mother, the queen.”</p><p>Mingi gave an understanding hum.</p><p>“I see. Then the reason why you don’t want to be called a prince is just that?”</p><p>“Correct. Even after Seonghwa’s death, I would never be considered one of status.” The words tasted bitter in Yeosang’s mouth. Jongho climbed somewhere to his left, keeping his mouth shut.</p><p>“I am just a boy in some chamber whose existence nobody recollects. It would be all kinds of wrong to call me a prince.”</p><p>While glad to get this mystery off his chest, Yeosang’s mood had dampened. Out of all subjects, this was the first one that Mingi had to investigate.</p><p>The man was quick to make it up to him with a few clever poised ones. He questioned him about his book, and about Jongho’s help with it. He knew how to get Yeosang to ramble without getting lost in distressing memories again.</p><p>After what Yeosang presumed to be half an hour of climbing, Jongho called for a break. Side by side, Mingi and Yeosang stuck to the wall and talked while the other man hammered nails into the cliff so that he could fasten a hammock on it. They all piled into it once he was finished to share some luncheons and drinks.</p><p>And even if Yeosang got squished between the two men far more tightly than he was used to, he didn’t mind their closeness much. Rather, he enjoyed it to have people around him.</p><p>The loneliness lifted off him like a nightmare in the morning.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Qam</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The trio had descended into the canyon's dark abyss that was filtered by sparse streams of light from above for another hour when Yeosang lost his footing.</p><p>Mingi had just called for another break so that they could warm up and share their warmth in the gradually cooling depths. Despite all care and caution that Yeosang had put in his every movement, his fingers tore off the edge he had found purchase on. The brittle stone broke away with his weight, and abruptly, Yeosang wasn’t pressed up against the secure wall anymore. His arms flailed about as his weight tipped backwards. Panic flashed in his heart.</p><p>At once, he slid off the wall completely.</p><p>The abyss offered no help. With its deadly pull, it called him to sink into an embrace that was as welcoming as it was deadly.</p><p>A hoarse yell sounded from Yeosang’s lips and echoed in the narrow gorge. As he fell, Mingi hastily turned his head and called out his name warningly. Both of their faces were frozen in horror.</p><p>“Grab this!”</p><p>Jongho was the one with the coolest head out of them. Something hissed, and as Yeosang desperately craned his neck to search for the man, an object hit the wall near his head. With faster reflexes than Yeosang had expected from himself, he reached out and grabbed the rope that Jongho had fixed between the two flanks that enclosed them. From how viciously it bit his fingers, he nearly let go, but with gritted teeth, Yeosang held on.</p><p>His weight dropped and ripped at his shoulders brutally, but he withstood. For a long, terrifying second, he hung on nothing but a rope and his weak hands over the Chasm.</p><p>Then, Jongho carefully called out his name.</p><p>“Yeosang. Climb over here.”</p><p>Shaking and trembling, Yeosang rose his eyes to the man. He hung on the wall with one hand and both of his feet blades buried deeply in the rock. His left hand held the rope that had shot from his shoulder and stabilised Yeosang with his machines' help. Still, he looked strained. His lips were pursed in concentration as he didn’t take his eyes off Yeosang.</p><p>Above them, Mingi scrambled over the wall to catch up with them and aid somehow.</p><p>With all the inner strength Yeosang could muster, he forced his arms to move. It took him a few seconds longer than necessary, but he arrived at Jongho's spot in one piece. As soon as he was in reach, Jongho wrapped his arm around Yeosang’s waist and let go of the rope. Instinctually, Yeosang reached out to stabilise his body on the man’s shoulder. As his feet searched for a hold on the wall next to Jongho, they were pressed against each other for a long, excruciating moment.</p><p>Jongho smelled of machine grease and metal.</p><p>“Kick your feet into the wall.” Unaware of Yeosang’s sudden bout of shyness, the man mumbled near his ear. His voice was gentle and patient, and Yeosang felt incredibly secure in his arm for a long moment before he managed to ram the blades into the wall and regain his balance. He would have kissed Jongho in gratitude again, but it was hardly the time.</p><p>“Thanks,” murmured Yeosang timidly as he tried to normalise his erratic breathing. His heart that he only now noticed beat eccentrically as if it wanted to jump out of his chest.</p><p>“Yeosang! Are you alright?!”</p><p>Mingi’s call boomed through the canyon and had Yeosang wince. Bricky fluttered around him worriedly.</p><p>“He’s fine. A bit startled, but we can take a break and continue then.”</p><p>Jongho’s arm was still wrapped around Yeosang. It trapped him against the wall as if he didn’t trust Yeosang yet to stay there. Heat wavered from it and seeped into Yeosang’s back like a comforting blanket. Subconsciously, Yeosang prayed that he wouldn’t pull back anytime soon.</p><p>“Please be careful! My heart dropped!”</p><p>Chuckling, Jongho turned his head to check on Mingi, who still hastily climbed closer.</p><p>“We can collect it once we reach an end. I hope there are some terraces big enough to carry us down there. I get sick of being glued to a wall already. Could you prepare the hammock?”</p><p>Mingi whipped out his nails and hammer and ropes. By the time their little resting spot was set up and hung from the wall, Yeosang had calmed mostly. He matched his breathing pattern with Jongho’s and found comfort in the man’s closeness.</p><p>They allowed themselves another while of rest. Mingi overshadowed the care of any other brother in the world as he kept assuring himself of Yeosang’s comfort and safety. He even joked about pushing Jongho down if he took up too much space. The other two had protested loudly.</p><p>By the time they continued their climb, Yeosang’s fright had worn off. Jongho went first, and as before, the other two followed. It must have been over two hours that they had climbed by now, and Yeosang began to grow worried about night approaching. They had yet to arrive somewhere, and Yeosang grew claustrophobic the longer he climbed around here.</p><p>He allowed his thoughts to stray to his book. To distract himself, he pondered his characters and world-building. After all, he planned to write a great fantasy novel, and even if Seonghwa wasn’t around to make a judgement about it anymore, then Yeosang could still ask Wooyoung what he thought about it.</p><p>If he ever came back. Yeosang couldn’t imagine not returning to Asora, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure if he would get received back if he did.</p><p>Yeosang was deep in his daydreams about his main character getting kissed on a rooftop of some building by their main love interest when Jongho called out beneath them.</p><p>“Guys? I found something; you might want to take a careful look down.”</p><p>Yeosang peeked between his body and the wall. He detected Jongho quickly, but it was not him that his attention was drawn to. It was something beyond Jongho.</p><p>A village grew in between the two walls. An abundance of houses made from woods and cloth nestled between the two stone cliffs like a cat that had found its favourite spot between his owner’s legs.</p><p>Yeosang regarded it with an open mouth.</p><p>There were people there. They milled around on the gangplanks that connected the huts and even stepping into a cave system that they must have built into the walls. A group of them had already detected the climbers, and they stood there and watched like curious insects in the distance as the three men came closer.</p><p>They lived here. He saw children running around and chase each other over the bridges. Women carried baskets with laundry on their hips, and some men sat on benches together as they took a break from work.</p><p>“How is this possible?” Yeosang muttered mostly to himself. Their village disputed all the laws of nature. It held itself up between the walls like a spider in its web. Who were those people? How had they built this place? Yeosang’s head steamed from all the questions that coursed through it.</p><p>“I think it might be safe. Let’s continue!”</p><p>Yeosang wouldn’t have disputed Jongho’s call even if his mind had been clear. His interest was reborn with fascination about this settlement. So far down the unfriendly canyon, how did they live?</p><p>Maybe Yeosang hurried a bit more to follow Jongho down. The endless thirst for knowledge in his head had him scramble to arrive.</p><p>One of the platforms that attached multiple gangplanks and houses united with the wall. By the time Yeosang arrived, Jongho already stood on the wooden ground surrounded by a group of people. They eyed him warily, but without malicious intent. Once Yeosang was in reach, Jongho grabbed onto his hips and lifted him off the wall like a little kitten. Yeosang came to stand by his side and dusted his sleeves off.</p><p>“Tell us what you want here, boy. Even if you’re from Zey, we need some answers before we let you roam. You could pose a risk to all of us.”</p><p>Jongho withstood their prying eyes with determination. To Yeosang, he looked incredibly strong and cool with his dark gaze and mask that he had pulled down to his neck somewhere during their descend. Yeosang let him speak while he awaited Mingi.</p><p>“We are in search of something. We cannot give you any details, but it was not this place. Finding it came as a surprise.”</p><p>Mingi finally joined them. His breathing was as excited as Yeosang’s, and with curious eyes, he peered around. The people stared back. Their bodies were defensive in the same way that Zey’s inhabitants were. Wary of strangers, and distrusting towards anything unknown.</p><p>Other than the people of Zey, however, these had a group behaviour. They weren’t lone wolves; they acted as a community. Yeosang was beyond intrigued. He wanted to whip his notebook out and interview them all about their lives, but that was hardly appropriate. Instead, he marvelled about their colourful clothes and hairdos that seemed beyond exotic to him. The people all looked similar to the ones he knew from Asorazey, but their culture seemed entirely different.</p><p>He rose his eyes when the people parted around a newcomer. Someone muttered under their breath that three newcomers had arrived.</p><p>The man who emerged from the masses was hardly invisible with his bright pink hair. As he halted in front of the trio, however, Yeosang gulped.</p><p>He was a sight to behold.</p><p>Despite his pink hair that was pushed back to expose his fox-like features being his most striking trait, the man was much more than that. From the curl of his lips that screamed attractiveness to Yeosang to the dimples he exposed when he smiled at them brightly, he was already one beautiful man. However, his body, or rather, how he presented his body, left even more of an impression.</p><p>By Yeosang’s guess, he was about the same height as Jongho, but his shoulders were far broader. They tapered into a tiny waist that seemed ridiculously narrow in the spectre of measurements and ended in long legs. He was clad in black leather, but the top he wore only clung to his chest. It exposed a sliver of his stomach and toned muscles that had Yeosang’s mouth run dry.</p><p>His pants hugged every shape and dip of his legs sinfully tight. Powerful legs, as far as Yeosang could see.</p><p>He also wore a leather jacket over his shoulders, but when he reached his hand out towards Jongho, it slipped from his skin slightly and exposed his naked flesh. His top was held to his body only by a few straps.</p><p>Yeosang didn’t know where to look. His cheeks were warm with shyness, but he also wanted to stare at the exquisite man forever and draw him until his fingers bled.</p><p>“Welcome in Qam, strangers. My name is San; I’m the mayor’s son.” His smirk was mischievous as he shook Jongho’s hand. It pulled one corner of his mouth up further than the other one. Seonghwa had had a crooked smile, too, but Seonghwa was nowhere near the realm of how charming this man looked with that type of grin.</p><p>Yeosang nearly fainted when the man stepped up to him to give him his hand. Hastily, he thrust his sweaty paw out and prayed the man wouldn’t mind.</p><p>He took it with ease, though. His fingers wrapped around Yeosang’s and squeezed gently. Yeosang’s breath hitched when their eyes met. No way didn’t the man see his blush.</p><p>With a wink at him, San let go and greeted Mingi, too.</p><p>Yeosang’s knees were weak. He had never reacted to someone quite like this before, but he was in too much of a daze to mind. Silent, he watched San as if the man were a fallen star.</p><p>“Now, who might those strangers be that the heavens sent to us?”</p><p>Yeosang believed to notice that San’s eyes stuck to him more than the other two. While flattered, he also helplessly attempted not to look silly in front of him.</p><p>“We came here to aid Zey. The crown prince of Asora was rumoured to know of something down here that might help.” Jongho’s reply was guarded and as vague as possible. As San nodded, his jacket slipped down his shoulders further. Enthralled, Yeosang stared at his collarbone. It looked as if it was carved out of marble. Yeosang wanted to run his fingertips over it.</p><p>“Something to help, huh? Follow me. I will introduce you to my father.” San turned on the spot to march off. He shrugged his jacket back on, and Yeosang tried not to be disappointed.</p><p>He oversaw the careful glance that Jongho gave him. He was busy trying to catch sight of San in front of the other man.</p><p>The people parted around them, but they made no effort to hide their curiosity. They whispered under their breaths as their eyes suspiciously followed the group.</p><p>San guided them to a hut in the centre of the village. It was larger than some others and even had two stories. The doors were wide open to welcome anybody. In one row, they marched right in.</p><p>“Wait a moment.” San signalled them to stay in the entrance room as he disappeared behind a blanket that covered another passage.</p><p>Yeosang just turned to look around the peculiar home, when his eyes fell on the two men seated at a table to their left. Both parties had already taken notice of one another, and Mingi of all people spoke up. He addressed one of the two men that looked back at him as if he had just seen a ghost.</p><p>“Hongjoong?!”</p><p>“Mingi?!”</p><p>Yeosang, however, had frozen over completely.</p><p>The second man in front of him was an actual ghost. A man that was supposed to be dead.</p><p>“<em>Seonghwa</em>?!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Unwrapping The Truth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seonghwa was alive.</p><p>Very much so, and he showed no signals of dying anytime soon, either. Despite the thick bandages that wrapped around one of his legs where his pants were rolled up and crossed over his chest as far as Yeosang could tell from the peek he sneaked into the man's collar, he looked good.</p><p>And at the same time, he looked like an entirely different person than he had been two weeks ago.</p><p>The Seonghwa from back then had been prim and clean, with his dark hair styled to perfection and his uniforms neatly clinging to his body. This Seonghwa might as well be another human. His hair was shorter, and he wore it falling into his forehead rather than pushed back regally. No uniform accentuated his build. In its stead, he bore a comfortable sweater that was a size too big on him and soft trousers that billowed around his legs and had the left pant leg pushed up so he could access his bandages. A walking cane made from a long stick rested next to his chair against the wall.</p><p>He appeared all kinds of normal and delicate, and even if Yeosang barely recognised him, his face was just the same. And the devotion and shock in his eyes at Yeosang's sight were, too. Before his lips could part to speak, Yeosang yelled through the room.</p><p>"Seonghwa!"</p><p>With one dash, Yeosang jumped into the man's arms. Startled by the sudden action, Seonghwa promptly flinched back, but he opened his arms wide anyway. As soon as Yeosang knew he was welcome, he clambered into his brother's lap. With touches as gentle as the petals of a flower, he embraced the man. Hot tears brimmed in his eyes. For once after a while, he felt as if the two halves of his heart were back in the place where they belonged and mended back together.</p><p>"I- I don't understand, how are you- What are you doing here, Seonghwa?!"</p><p>Seonghwa's arms around Yeosang's back were gentle. They had lost all the stiffness and appropriate distance rules as he hugged Yeosang with no mask over his true emotions. The younger man sobbed against his shoulder wetly. His brother smelled of some herbs and food that Yeosang had never tasted before. He was like exchanged, but deep down in his heart, Yeosang knew that this was the right one. This was the Seonghwa he knew.</p><p>"It's a long story. I came here by coincidence. As it seems, fate brought the two of us back together," murmured Seonghwa against his shoulder. His voice was laced with throaty emotions that poured right from his chest into Yeosang's. Sadness, guilt, and undeniable joy. Yeosang squeezed his good arm tighter until Seonghwa weakly chuckled into his shoulder.</p><p>"I'm glad. I'm so, so glad."</p><p>Their crying fest had the rest of the troop sink into polite silence. Yeosang didn't mind them seeing him this vulnerable. His utmost priority was to cradle the warm body of his brother as close as possible to ingrain the fact that he never left into his mind.</p><p>"You know each other?"</p><p>It was San's voice. With one last pitiful sniffle in Seonghwa's shoulder, Yeosang meekly rose his head to look at him. He found kindness in San's eyes, and understanding.</p><p>When he noticed the newcomer in the room, Yeosang glanced around. Next to San stood a man that could only be his father. Jongho leaned in the door frame that led outside as if he was ready to flee at any given moment. He had crossed his arms over his chest, and his face was void of any expression.</p><p>Mingi stood near the guy that sat opposite of Seonghwa at the table. They hissed at each other under their breaths, and the smaller man with the blue hair and nose straighter than Yeosang's life was just as flamboyant as San. They were so unique here, nothing Yeosang had ever seen. How did Seonghwa fit in?</p><p>And how, in the name of everything holy on this earth, had he gotten here? Did the royal family know? Why hadn't he told Yeosang he would hide and rehabilitate? Was he still in danger?</p><p>"He's my dear brother I told you about. The one I needed to get from the palace." Seonghwa allowed Yeosang to stay seated on him despite his injuries. Yeosang brimmed with curiosity what had happened, but he held his questions back and instead tried to put not all of his weight on his brother. Seonghwa appreciated it with a gentle pat on Yeosang's flank.</p><p>"Seems like he took care of that himself." San's father shooed San off to make them all some tea. After all the startles today, Yeosang found he deserved it. As the pink-haired man wandered off inside the house, the mayor closed the door so they wouldn't be bothered. He and Jongho nodded at each other gravely as they exchanged glances.</p><p>"Get me from the palace? Why?" Concerned, Yeosang pulled back from Seonghwa. The man gave him a comforting smile, but it bordered a pained grimace. In consideration of his wounds, Yeosang pulled back to plop down on the chair next to Seonghwa. Mingi sat opposite of them by now, and the other two men stood while San still scurried around in the back. A bit eased, Seonghwa picked diplomatic words for his answer.</p><p>"Bad things are happening there, Yeosangie. Things I didn't want you to get caught up in."</p><p>Confused, Yeosang waited for the conversation to commence. The mayor took it out of their grasps and included all of them once San came back to serve them all their tea. Yeosang lowered his eyes on the table in front of him when he noticed that the man had taken off his jacket. Most parts of his back safe for two thick leather straps that held his top were naked. San's nimble fingers were wrapped in black leather gloves that ended above his wrists as he neatly set down Yeosang's cup in front of him.</p><p>Far too soon, Yeosang nipped at his tea to distract himself. He burnt his tongue.</p><p>"So you are the second prince. And these two gentlemen?"</p><p>Yeosang glanced between Mingi and Jongho. Both of them had greeted Seonghwa with comradely nods by now, so at least they weren't fully unaware of each other. Yeosang never knew that Jongho had met his brother. What had they talked about? Him, maybe?</p><p>"Friends from Zey. I wouldn't have been able to get this far without the two of them." When Yeosang met Jongho's eyes, the man smiled faintly at him. Instantly, Yeosang calmed a bit more. He could trust the two.</p><p>The mayor nodded. San dropped onto the stairs that led up to the second floor and stretched out his long legs. Yeosang denied how his eyes kept wandering back to them. Sometimes, San noticed and Yeosang quickly looked away. Other times, San allowed him to ogle him while he fixed his eyes on something else. His lips were curled in a grin all the time, though.</p><p>"I welcome you once more to Qam, then. You are welcome here for as long as you wish to stay."</p><p>Yeosang exchanged an insecure glance with Mingi. The man shrugged. The guy he had called Hongjoong sat next to him tensely and observed them from intelligent eyes.</p><p>"What kind of place is Qam?" It was Mingi who asked and relieved them all of their curiosity. Yeosang didn't even know where to begin anymore with how much was going on. Seonghwa's sudden reappearance, the city in the canyon, and the effect San had on him all had him dissolve around the edges like heated butter.</p><p>The mayor smiled kindly.</p><p>"Qam is the city of those who escaped. People from Zey, people from Asora, and from far away that wanted a peaceful place to live life in. I moved here from Zey during my lifetime. San grew up here." Proud, the father nodded at the son, who promptly grinned into the room brightly. Yeosang shyly smiled back. He liked San's smile.</p><p>"We built it not that long ago. Qam only came to life a hundred years after the big earthquake. We are a very young community!"</p><p>So Qam centred a peaceful middle ground. A place that harboured all kinds of people and that didn't judge based on status and hierarchy like Asora did. It sounded too good to be true. Yeosang was glad that he had never heard of this place. As much as he wanted to linger here, their peace would be endangered if their information got into wrong hands.</p><p>"We accept everyone here as long as we deem them safe. Many people from Zey arrived here, but eastsiders like your brother are also very much appreciated." He continued with his speech while he sipped his tea. His voice remained kind and without judgement of either side. Compared to Asora's king, he carried the wisdom needed to take care of a community. Yeosang admired him for that.</p><p>"We are glad that you safely escaped from there. Seonghwa already told us everything about the despair up on the surface. I wouldn't wish that on anybody."</p><p>Once more, Yeosang turned to Seonghwa. The question was big in his face, but he wasn't sure if it was fine to word it yet. When Seonghwa nodded at him encouragingly, though, he breathed in to pronounce it.</p><p>"What happened, Seonghwa? How did you end up here of all places? They told us you died."</p><p>With a sigh, Seonghwa looked at one after the other of the men. As if he had to ponder who of them should hear whatever he had to say next. In the end, he decided it wasn't worth the hair-splitting. He spoke up.</p><p>"It wasn't on purpose, as I said. I'm incredibly thankful for the help I received here. For the medical attention." Mindlessly, Seonghwa played with the bandages on his leg. His eyes had lost their focus as he remembered. For the first time, Yeosang's excitement dwindled down enough for him to notice how tired Seonghwa looked. His face was haggard and deep shadows hung underneath his eyes. A permanent frown had settled on his face, probably due to the pain.</p><p>"I was pushed."</p><p>Yeosang's heart froze over at those words.</p><p><em>Pushed</em>?</p><p>What kind of monster would push his dear brother into the canyon?</p><p>Yeosang recalled falling just a few metres earlier that day. The shock still stiffened his limbs, and he had been terrified. How would it have to be to fall all the many hundred metres down here? He hated the imagination.</p><p>"I would have died if I hit the ground, but as fate bestowed on me, Hongjoong was right there when I needed him. He was just about to enter the canyon on a smaller cruise ship when he saw me fall. It's thanks to his fast reflexes that I am still alive. I sustained minor injuries from the crash on his deck, but that's all."</p><p>Mingi murmured praise in Hongjoong's direction. From how close they were, they must be friends. With the reminder to inquire about the two later, Yeosang tensely concentrated on his brother.</p><p>"Hongjoong brought me here, to the place he lives, and San's family generously patched me up and understood my story. They became good friends in the past days." Seonghwa respectfully nodded his head at the mayor, and then at San. San beamed at him, while his father copied the gesture politely.</p><p>Right now, not even San could distract Yeosang. His mind still reeled with the information he had gathered. It took him another whole minute to formulate a weak question.</p><p>"But who- Who would do something like that? Why would they attack you? Political reasons? It must be. Is one of our allies planning for war? Or was it maybe an angry attacker from Zey? Could you see their face?"</p><p>Yeosang sent an apologetic glance to Mingi and Jongho. Mingi waved it off easily while Jongho just kept his dark eyes fixated on Seonghwa. The prince now reached out to comfortingly squeeze Yeosang's shoulder.</p><p>A second of agonising silence passed as he searched for the right words. Hongjoong shifted opposite of him. He played with his painted nails on the table between them. He didn't even glance at Seonghwa when he spoke.</p><p>"You don't have to tell him right now. If you need rest, we can also explain the rest to him. It's all clear."</p><p>Despite his kind tries, Seonghwa refused. With a thankful smile in Hongjoong's direction, Seonghwa directed his attention fully at Yeosang. Nervous, the librarian watched his brother and his exhausted eyes. They had seen too much.</p><p>"No, Yeosang, you have it all wrong. No enemy was involved, and nobody of Zey ever laid a hand on me. Two Bishops threw me into the canyon. And as you know, the only one who commands them is our father, the king."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Webs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yeosang couldn’t believe his brother’s words.</p><p>In no possible way, their father was behind all this. Albeit a strict and feared ruler, the king had only ever wanted the best for Seonghwa. He had been the one to offer the throne to him, after all. If he had wanted to stop that, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths. Staging a death was far more difficult than keeping Seonghwa's existence a secret and then getting rid of him smoothly, as he did with Yeosang.</p><p>He had wanted to discuss against it, but Seonghwa had only chuckled tiredly at his attempts to explain. His ignorance made Yeosang furious. It was a mere assumption Seonghwa made. Anyone could gain control over the large console that conducted the Bishops in the main palace building. They could have become sentient, they could have malfunctioned, or the order could have derived from a close minister of their father that plotted sinister games. The king barely cared about the automatons himself, and they hadn’t even been in use until after Seonghwa disappeared. Why take them as guards if they were dangerous? It made no sense.</p><p>The injustice of Seonghwa’s suspicions against the one person who had raised him and made him a prince that lived in luxury distraught Yeosang. While he had all the reason to hate this man because of his disregard of his second son, Seonghwa had no claim. The king had always supported him and granted him a good life as a crown prince. Seonghwa’s betrayal was an assumption that festered ugly thoughts inside all of their chests. And while Yeosang feared his father more than anything, he wouldn’t allow a whole community of people to believe Seonghwa’s guess without evidence.</p><p>Yeosang loved his brother, but he hated injustice. No matter who it was targeted on. What right did Seonghwa have to support Zey in its suffering when he made the same mistake against his own kin? Even if Seonghwa had experienced an intense pressure from the royal household, it never would have been this bad.</p><p>Seonghwa had been too tired to discuss the topic, though. The mayor had garnered their attention back on himself after a few minutes of disbelieving stares and whispered protests.</p><p>“Either way, we can be glad that you people arrived here. Seonghwa has been pushing to go on an expedition so he could get this object he wanted to search down here. We might know what that might be. Since the trip would be far too dangerous for him and his injuries, however, you can now take over for him. I suggest you all discuss it in a meeting tomorrow. For now, he should sleep. San can show you around and explain the rest.”</p><p>With a grave nod at each one of them, the mayor had disappeared in his office. When Hongjoong had rounded the table to help Seonghwa back into his bed, the prince hung heavily over his shoulder. He looked as if he had aged ten years, and that was the sole reason Yeosang held his discontent with his revelation back. Seonghwa needed to rest. Whatever reason it was that had gotten him in this predicament; his wounds were genuine and worrisome. As soon as he woke, Yeosang would question him about it again.</p><p>For now, he tried to channel his relief in the sheer fact that his brother was alive. If there was anything to celebrate and to think of, it was that at first. And even if new stress and questions found their way back inside Wooyoung’s head, his heart now had one less reason to grief and could confidently begin their next adventure.</p><p>San took the trio with him out of the house. He slipped his jacket back on to fend off the cold, and Yeosang allowed himself to get distracted by him as they journeyed through the village. To gather new information, Jongho was first to walk on San’s side and interviewed him about this place with his low voice.</p><p>And there was so much to see. Yeosang spotted a little docking station for air gliders since big ships were too massive to fit into the canyon. A bunch of men carried cratex to and fro from there, and supplied different food stands and houses with them. The smell of spices and cooked meals lingered in the air and compensated the stench of wet and rotting vegetation. Kids laughed on their wild chase over the solid bridges. A plethora of colours and forms surrounded Yeosang, and he halted multiple times to admire fabrics and objects he had never seen before that were traded from far off countries.</p><p>The people interested in trade with Qam were different than the ones they saw in Asora. Asora’s investors were people in fancy suits and top hats that wore monocles over their eyes and neatly trimmed moustaches in their faces. They used sophisticated speech and prided themselves in their academic knowledge. In Qam, the airship sailors that strode around were like Hongjoong. They had a breath of exoticism to them, like rare gems whose equipment shone in all colours of the rainbow. Some of them wore intricate gear for flying; others carried large weapons that had purple glowing veins all over them. Yeosang even spotted a tall woman with sunglasses and a large predator on a thin chain that followed her around. Based on its elegance and outer appearance, he guessed that this might be one of the panthers he had read about. They were anything but tame, but this one weaved through the humans as if they were nothing more but trees.</p><p>The cluster of people migrated and prospered like their own organism. Yeosang vividly imagined how Qam would grow between the two cliffs, and more people would move here to build new houses and bridges. Qam united the best aspects of both Asora and Zey in one place but without the stigma and obstacles that came with it. It was a paradise of a place, even if it was relatively small.</p><p>Yeosang spotted Hongjoong in the distance as they entered the cave systems. The air pilot talked with some huge man in a long trench coat and a cylindrical container on his back, that Yeosang believed to be used to store raw bolts of lightning in. The short male’s blue hair barely stood out behind his goggles and the many different individuals. He exchanged the container for some coins and strode off to make other deals.</p><p>Beyond impressed, Yeosang glanced up at Mingi. He looked around just as enraptured as Yeosang.</p><p>“Hey, I have a question.”</p><p>“Love your enthuzimuzzy, ask away!”</p><p>Yeosang giggled at the word. He knew it from the newspapers, mainly satirical texts that jested about difficult terms they were to use.</p><p>“Hongjoong, how do you know him? You two seemed close.”</p><p>Mingi ducked under some wooden plank that held the cave in place. Both of them followed San’s flashy hair through the crowds of people that passed them.</p><p>“Ah, he’s been one of my chuckaboos for the longest time. He’s from Zey originally, but he left the city early to study physics in a city beyond the ocean. After that, he must have moved to Qam. What a glorious bastard.” Mingi barked a laugh. It sounded the same parts disbelieving and proud. Amused, Yeosang watched the tall man meander through the crowds with more grace than one would expect from a man his size.</p><p>“I can’t believe he bagged the prince. What kind of timing did he have to catch him in the fall? He’s a talented pilot, but I must have underestimated him.” He shook his head. “We worked together a couple of times, but not often. He’s a great companion, but you might want to mind the grease if you get too close. He’s a different form of skilamalink than Jongho, and I are.”</p><p>Yeosang would never cease to be amazed by the slang that Zey’s people used. Some words were so far off the originals that he wondered where they came from.</p><p>He directed his eyes to the front and studied San’s attractive side profile that was turned towards Jongho as they talked. Jongho had leaned in slightly to understand the other man better, and his rounded and cute features contrasted with San’s sharp ones.</p><p>“What do you think of San?”</p><p>Yeosang didn’t ask Mingi about his brother. He was convinced that the mystery that shrouded the man was interesting mainly to himself and Seonghwa. Why would his friends from Zey be too involved in the story about faulty family structures? This concerned Asora and the royal household. As long as his two companions were still around to help Yeosang with his mission, he wouldn’t have to bring it up.</p><p>“San? A gal-sneaker. Man’s getting the jammiest bits of jam, I would assume. I don’t know if you noticed the girls looking at him, but he’s popular here. Bet he hides something, too. The popular ones always do.” Mingi narrowed his eyes at the man’s back, but a delighted smile adorned his lips. He liked San, and as it appeared, the man would be a great help to the group.</p><p>San led them to a bunch of little caves inside a deeper corridor. Fires held the corners warm, and fewer people were scattered around here. Outside of the main centre of attention, the quiet of the canyon came back to settle in their minds. The lack of loud noises and voices made it possible to understand San’s voice even from their distance.</p><p>“As of now, we have only this one cave to accommodate you in. Two of you can share, but since we haven’t built more space for any other guests as of now, my father suggestionised that the last one of you may share my room. We would have put the princes together, but that is more of a hassle since Seonghwa needs a room on his own to rest.”</p><p>Jongho just spoke up to answer, when Mingi interrupted him. His eyes were fixed on San.</p><p>“Hey man, he doesn’t like to be called a prince. Leave it.”</p><p>Grateful, Yeosang threw him a smile. When he met San’s eyes afterwards, the man respectfully lowered his gaze.</p><p>“I apologise. Lodging the brothers in one room will not be possible.”</p><p>Yeosang forgave him with no further comment. As if he needed to be mad at a man as pretty as San. From his mouth, it didn’t sound half as bad to be called a prince. Still, he was thankful for Mingi’s intervention.</p><p>“I can share with you.” Jongho swiftly supplied. He hadn’t waited for the rest to discuss.</p><p>San rose his brow at him.</p><p>Yeosang shrugged. He didn’t mind sharing with Mingi, especially since it was only for a few nights. If they commenced as planned, they would continue their journey after the talk with Seonghwa anyway.</p><p>“Actually…” San’s eyes wandered to Yeosang once more. Curious, the man perked up.</p><p>“In regards to prior unrests of Qam’s people towards residents of Asora, I would rather have Yeosang share with me. He is safer in my father’s home than here, and he would be closer to his brother.”</p><p>Yeosang nervously exchanged glances with the other two. San had a point, he would love to be around Seonghwa right now, and since San spoke from experience, then him visiting there was all the better. But was Yeosang mentally prepared to spend the night in the same room as this gorgeous man? He already foresaw his self-consciousness crashing down on him.</p><p>Jongho also looked less than pleased with this development, but he nodded anyway.</p><p>“Fine with me. I hope you can keep him safe. In the emergency, Mingi and I would be ready, too.”</p><p>San’s dimples appeared when he gave Jongho a charming smile.</p><p>“I don’t want you to fight against our people. It would be best if they weren’t even presented with the incentive to attack. Please, sort it out however you seem fit.” He stepped away to leave them some space. With difficulties, Yeosang ripped his eyes away from him as San pushed back his hair and observed the cave with his slanted eyes.</p><p>The trio huddled close together. Neither of them had any troubles sharing with anyone, but they considered San’s words anyway. Albeit slow, Jongho was the last to give in. It was indeed the most practical solution to pair him and Mingi up and leave Yeosang to San. Once they had made the final decision, Yeosang had blushed deeply. While Mingi had patted his back with a loud laugh, Jongho had only stared at him quizzically.</p><p>They informed San of the plan, and he took it with ease.</p><p>“Alright, then let me show you around some more. Once you ate and checked out everything you want to see, you can go to bed whenever you please.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Bricky</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sharing a room with San was surprisingly comfortable. The man offered Yeosang his bed and build a soft nest for himself on the floor on the other side of the room. Before he left to attend to some other duties, he informed Yeosang that he could freely use the kitchens if he needed anything or got hungry.</p><p>Yeosang fell asleep before San returned, and when he woke up, the man was already gone.</p><p>He had rested surprisingly well. Despite all his worries and anxiety about Seonghwa, palace intrigues, and weird objects they needed to find, he had slept like a baby. He supposed around all those bothersome thoughts; his body needed its comfort even more.</p><p>Yeosang rose with the light of day that dimly lit the bottom of the canyon. He let Bricky out of his bag and activated the bird so he could carry him around on his shoulder. The light weight of his little companion kept Yeosang in a good mood. As he sneaked over to Seonghwa’s room, he took his notebook with him. Expectedly, his brother was still lost in the land of dreams, but Yeosang didn’t mind much. He curled up in a corner of the sparsely decorated chamber and went to work.</p><p>His change of surroundings fuelled him with many new ideas for his book. Ever since he had left the dull solitude of the palace, his mind bubbled with creative thoughts. It projected incredible landscapes, futuristic ideals, and fascinating plots into his mind. On the ground of Seonghwa’s room, Yeosang busied himself for a whole hour sketching a market similar to Qam’s that he wanted to have in his story. One of the characters that stood more in the front left wore a cropped top and had dimples on his face.</p><p>Before Yeosang could get into too much detail and add his other friends, too, Seonghwa stirred in his bed. He grumbled into his pillow before he blearily opened his eyes. Yeosang’s heart softened at the sight. He and Seonghwa had never slept around each other since the prince hadn’t been allowed to leave the palace's main building for too long. Yet, his brother looked incredibly much younger in his sleep. He actually resembled his age, and the stress of his many duties lifted right off him.</p><p>He had some marks from his pillow on his face.</p><p>Seonghwa tiredly blinked at Yeosang, not quite spotting him in his weird fetal position yet.</p><p>“Hongjoong?” Groggy from sleep, his voice scratched in his throat. Chuckling, Yeosang shut his book and stood up. As he neared, understanding crossed Seonghwa’s eyes, and he rolled on his back to smile dopily at Yeosang.</p><p>“Whatever would the air pilot do in your room at night, dear brother?” Yeosang sat down on the edge of Seonghwa’s bed with a smile. When he reached out to caress Seonghwa’s cheek, the man closed his eyes and leaned into his touch like a satisfied cat. If he had purred, Yeosang would have taken him with him in his bag.</p><p>“Most of the time, he brings trouble. But enough of him. Good morning.”</p><p>Yeosang amusedly noted how fast his brother had changed the topic. Since he was in a charitable mood today, he didn’t comment on it.</p><p>“Good morning. I wanted to apologise for reacting so harshly to your words yesterday. I thought about it some more and figured it must have been hard for you. I can’t imagine the fear and sense of betrayal.”</p><p>Yeosang had been betrayed, too, but he always had been. His whole life in the palace was a deception. There was nothing to surprise him with. Seonghwa, however, Seonghwa had presumed himself safe. And he had been cruelly wronged.</p><p>“I am not mad at you. I never could be.” Seonghwa reached out to pat Yeosang’s hair, but his arm wasn’t long enough. Sighing, Yeosang leaned down until the man could tap his head with a coo. His fingers slid through Yeosang’s hair gently and untangled a few knots.</p><p>“Still, I need evidence. If your assumption is true, then, by all means, we should do everything to hide or stop whatever the king is planning. But if it isn’t… He might also just be a tool.” Yeosang frowned into the empty room. He couldn’t see Seonghwa’s expression from here, but he knew that the man pondered his words. A second passed in mutual silence. Through Seonghwa’s blanket, his heat radiated onto Yeosang.</p><p>“If I am right… Then whatever we might find down here in the canyon will give you the evidence you need. It either proves his innocence, or it doesn’t.”</p><p>Yeosang slipped from Seonghwa’s grasp as he sat up. As he scrutinised his brother’s face, he found the resolution that they shared in his eyes, too.</p><p>“What is it that we seek? Is there a plausible item that can hold such worth?”</p><p>With a muffled groan, Seonghwa pushed himself up in his bed. After he had helped him adjust his pillows and settle against them, Yeosang waited for an answer attentively. Maybe he should search for San after this to check on his brother.</p><p>“There is. But I’m not sure with my theory. I will share it with you once you find it. It has to do with our nethicite energies.” Seonghwa’s lips curled into a grim expression.</p><p>Yeosang wondered whatever might be behind this mysterious item. In what way would it be related to Seonghwa’s assassination attempt? He had wanted to visit the canyon far before that, he couldn’t possibly foresee his planned murder, right?</p><p>After all the newest developments, Yeosang wasn’t so sure anymore. His head felt like a clockwork of turning cogs and wires, and none seemed to lead together to form a whole thought.</p><p>“I asked San to accompany you and your friends there. I won’t be able to go, but he is a skilled pathfinder. I’m positive that he will get you to your goal and back here safe and sound.” As his grimace formed into a weak smile, Yeosang insecurely attempted to mimic the gesture. His weak attempts were rewarded with a reassuring pat from Seonghwa.</p><p>“You can do it. San knows everything about this item and where it could be. I think you and your team are cut out to retrieve it.”</p><p>So it was an item, after all. Not just a concept that Seonghwa sought after. But related to nethicite energies? Yeosang would have to ask Jongho about it. He had little knowledge about mechanical and technical jargon himself.</p><p>Yeosang nodded weakly. Then, he offered Seonghwa to take him downstairs to get some food and examine his wounds. By the time the two managed to shuffle down to the living room area with Seonghwa’s crutches in tow, San, Jongho and Mingi had already gathered there. They were in the middle of a conversation, but San still jumped from his seat to aid Seonghwa as soon as he heard them.</p><p>“Good morning, lads. Here, let me help.”</p><p>His fingers brushed against Yeosang’s arm warmly when he wrapped his arm around Seonghwa’s waist. With a thankful smile at Yeosang, Seonghwa allowed the pink-haired man to get him over to a chair. Worried eyes followed him as Mingi and Jongho observed the exchange. They seemed ready to intervene at any time.</p><p>Once Seonghwa was taken care of and settled in his place safely, San scurried off to get him fresh bandages. He called for Mingi to help him with the tea, and Jongho mentioned to Seonghwa how he should prepare for the bitter brew with a chuckle. As Yeosang sat down next to Jongho, the man scooted his arms away a bit to give Yeosang space. Neither of them minded how their thighs pressed together underneath the small table.</p><p>“How did you sleep?”</p><p>Yeosang purposefully lowered his voice so he wouldn’t interrupt San in his work as he undressed Seonghwa’s upper body. He assured himself of Seonghwa’s comfort with every step he took.</p><p class="">Jongho watched how San unwrapped the prince’s bandages with the same attention as Yeosang. Both sat stiffly in their corner when blue and purple bruises appeared on Seonghwa’s skin when the white bandages came off. His left shoulder must have taken the worst of his momentum with how bad it looked. The thought alone made Yeosang’s shoulder flare with pain and heart constrict in his chest. His brother's skin resembled a flower field of dark colours. They matched the night and Hongjoong's hair as if they attempted to remind him of the circumstances of his fall.</p><p>“Good. Our quarters were very comfortable, and nobody disrupted us during the night. Mingi snores, but that was the worst that happened.”</p><p>Yeosang’s eyes stuck to San’s long lashes that fluttered over his carved cheekbones. His nimble fingers took extra care with Seonghwa’s damaged bones. Unstyled strands of pink hair fell into his face rather wildly, but it took nothing from his handsomeness.</p><p>“How about you?” Jongho followed Yeosang’s gaze to the new friend they had made. While Yeosang could feel him brim with curiosity and tension about something, he didn’t word any question.</p><p>“Good, good. I had an enjoyable night and slept well.”</p><p>They lapsed into silence as they listened to the sound of the boiler around the corner and Mingi’s hum that accompanied it. Bricky hopped over the table in front of them. While San wordlessly knelt on the floor and patched up Seonghwa’s leg, the prince took notice of the little bird on the surface. Curious, he stretched out his good hand towards it.</p><p>“Hello, little friend. Who are you?”</p><p>Bricky curiously scuttled closer to the man’s searching fingers. The melody he hummed filled the air that slowly started to mix with the delicious smell of food from outside. Yeosang’s stomach grumbled, interested.</p><p>“That’s Bricky. Jongho made him for me.” Proud, Yeosang glanced at the other man. He had lowered his eyes to the table and fiddled with his fingers, but a little smile played around his lips.</p><p>“Nice to meet you, Bricky. Oh, he wouldn’t possibly be able to traverse freely, right? We could use him to stay in contact with each other while you are gone!”</p><p>At the idea, both boys from the castle excitedly looked at Jongho. The man looked surprised.</p><p>“He should be. In theory, you can attach messages to him, and he can travel around to relay them.” Judging from his amazed expression, Jongho hadn’t thought about that before. As the three of them gushed about the possibilities, San stood up and fetched Mingi as well as the tea. He stood while the other four collected on the table around him. Like a class of school kids, they looked up at him, prepared to soak up all wisdom he had to share like ravenous sponges.</p><p>“So, we plan to venture further into the canyon. We don’t need to go further down; there are only water torrents that will rip us apart. I doubt we will find anything there.”</p><p>He pouted slightly as he spoke, giving him a cute touch. Yeosang held back an endeared sigh.</p><p>“The four of us will go. I think the trip might take us about two weeks back and forth. We will travel on the same level of height, but since many paths aren’t very secure, I would rather take my time than hurry.”</p><p>Grim nods agreed all around the table. Bricky continued his merry hops from one of them to the next.</p><p>“We will meet other people further down the canyon. Not all of them will be hospitable, but we put our hopes in them concerning the exact location of whatever we search for. Who knows, maybe somebody collected it before us and has it in their possession.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. Instantly, his jacket slipped off. Yeosang’s eyes stuck to the man’s pretty honey skin tone.</p><p>“I want us to depart tomorrow in the morning. Seonghwa urges us to hurry since he doesn’t trust the newest developments in the castle. I hope you will all rest and eat a lot here, and be energetic to go by dawn.” He smiled at them one after the other. When he ended with Yeosang, he threw a playful wink in. Blushing, Yeosang lowered his eyes.</p><p>Jongho shifted his leg under the table. Distracted, Yeosang accommodated him. With Mingi and Seonghwa with their legs that seemed to go on forever opposite of them, it was complicated to figure out space.</p><p>When Mingi’s stomach audibly announced its displeasure about the lack of food, San let them go. He even recommended them a good food place before taking care of a meal for Seonghwa.</p><p>Together, the trio went out to get fill their stomachs. As always, Yeosang was glad to see Jongho eat. His gaunt features could always use some more fat on them. Wandering about, Yeosang regarded all the colours and new impressions around him with great interest. He ingrained all of them in his memory extra well so that when he got bored during their trip, he would have something to do when he wrote or drew them.</p><p>San wasn’t in his room when Yeosang went to bed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Departure to the Depths</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Yeosang. Wake up."</p><p>Surprised by the sudden disruption, Yeosang rose from his sleep. His dream continued to cling to him for a long second and tricked him into thinking that the voice had only been part of his imagination. The hand on his shoulder that urged him to wake up was very real, however. It only disappeared once Yeosang groggily lifted his head and forced his eyes open.</p><p>The sliver of pink colour in front of him was blurry at first, but soon enough it evolved to a sharp image of San. His dimpled face hovered above Yeosang as he smiled down on the man kindly.</p><p>"Time to leave. Come down once you got ready."</p><p>Disoriented, Yeosang just hummed at him in agreement. He was thankfully too tried to consider his messy hair and swollen cheeks. The time to worry about his looks came later.</p><p>Once San was sure that Yeosang had gotten the memo, he stepped back from the bed respectfully. Yeosang pushed himself up weakly and tiredly blinked at San until his vision adjusted. The other man cooed at him.</p><p>He had changed his clothes. The pretty but impractical top had disappeared, and instead, he wore a form-fitting vest over a dark shirt. A shoulder piece strapped some equipment to his shoulder, and a second bag that clung to his hips featured several different knives and other tools.</p><p>Yeosang still stared at him when San amusedly rose his voice one more.</p><p>"Do you need help getting dressed? I can provide."</p><p>San's smile remained angelic even if the implication behind his words was anything but. By now, Yeosang was conscious enough to blush a deep red at the man's words. With a wink, San exited the room to leave him alone.</p><p>Yeosang took another second of warm embarrassment just to sit where he was, but he moved soon. With tired hands, he pulled his clothes over to sort his limbs into the respective openings. Upon Mingi's wise suggestion, they had dressed warmly before they had descended into the canyon, and Yeosang very much appreciated his advice. He didn't have to freeze here, and that was a little comfort.</p><p>Yeosang already had enough worries as it were. The cold could gladly stay off his list.</p><p>Down in the living room, Yeosang found San. He stood next to Hongjoong at the table and conversed with the man while Hongjoong sipped his tea. At Yeosang's appearance, San broke out into another broad grin. Hongjoong and the librarian acknowledged each other with brief nods.</p><p>"You ready to go? Mingi and Jongho are already outside."</p><p>Yeosang would have liked to greet his brother again before they left, but it came to no surprise that Seonghwa was still asleep. After all, he still needed a lot of time to recover. Yeosang would rather have him do that instead of bothering him right now. They would only be gone for two weeks. After that, Yeosang still had lots of time to enjoy his brother's presence.</p><p>Thus, he approved of San's question. He dropped a quick 'bye' on Hongjoong before he followed San outside. While Yeosang barely knew the air pilot, he could imagine that Seonghwa valued him as a person very much. Depending on their future plans, Yeosang wouldn't be surprised if he saw Hongjoong's face more often from now on.</p><p>The two stepped outside into a Qam that was still mostly asleep. The first vendor booths near the main platforms opened their doors only sleepily. The people who set them up unwrapped them like sleepy swans made from paper that spread their wings to shake off the cold of the night.</p><p>No ship had docked on the harbour yet, and the children had yet to awake to their days spent playing and learning from each other in the narrow space that the canyon offered to them. Yeosang wondered if they ever saw the skies in their young years. He had been completely overwhelmed during his departure from Asora, so he couldn't imagine what they would feel like.</p><p>Mingi and Jongho greeted Yeosang cheerfully once they all grouped. Both of them wore their equipment on their backs, and Jongho's gadgets hummed and clicked quietly in the fresh morning air. They still fascinated Yeosang, and he hoped that one day, Jongho would be comfortable enough around him so he could get a closer look at them. He wanted to draw their intricate detail and feel the hard metal's elegant forms, but he also respected Jongho's personal space.</p><p>They formed duos of two as soon as they departed. This time, Mingi was on San's side, and Yeosang envied him just a little. Yet, he appreciated Jongho as a conversation partner, too. With him, every talk felt natural and seemed to come to Yeosang ceaselessly.</p><p>"How was Mingi's snoring tonight?"</p><p>Jongho chuckled at the first line of their talk already. With an inward shoulder pat for being a witty person, Yeosang let himself be infected by the man's gummy smile. It made him look younger, more approachable.</p><p>"I believe he's getting worse. If we don't act soon, he might breathe in all of Qam during one of his horrible inhales."</p><p>Their shoulders sometimes brushed as they walked, but Yeosang didn't mind. The gangplanks were narrow anyway, and Jongho had some heat to share.</p><p>"That sounds truly terrifying. Do I have to worry about you?" Yeosang appreciated their bickering in the morning. It already lifted his mood. Gradually, the canyon lit up as the sliver of light behind them towards the ocean grew brighter. </p><p>Jongho dramatically shook his head.</p><p>"I fear there is nothing left, but to accept my fate. One day, you and San will find no more but a few remains of my clothes when you enter that cave."</p><p>The image he painted had Yeosang gasp softly.</p><p>"Oh, no! That would crush my poor heart." Pouting, Yeosang refused to accept the theory as a reality. Around them, Qam slowly awoke as they reached the outskirts of the lively city. Yeosang searched his pocket for Bricky to let him fly alongside them and explore the dark parts of the canyon ahead.</p><p>"Would it?"</p><p>"Of course! How dare you even question that? You have become such a precious friend in my life!"</p><p>The smile on Jongho's face appeared painted on. It hid his emotions well, and Yeosang had to give him credit for his acting skills.</p><p>"I'm glad to hear that. So I'm not entirely replaceable."</p><p>Yeosang quickly shook his head even as he was distracted by the village end. They followed San into one of the tunnels along the canyon, which allowed them to safely traverse further along the canyon. Glad that they held their distance from the dark depths that seemed more than keen on swallowing him, Yeosang allowed Jongho to switch sides so that he would be the one who walked near the wall between them and the abyss.</p><p>“You could never be! I don’t know where I would be right now if you hadn’t entered my life. Now that you already improved it so much I don’t want you to disappear suddenly!” Albeit well aware that they hadn’t known each other for long, Yeosang needed to make sure that the message came across to Jongho. His gratitude ran deep, and even if it was embarrassing for him to express orally, he wanted Jongho to know.</p><p>Shy, Jongho rubbed his neck. The gesture was so unlike him and his usual exclusive exterior. The idea of him being more open towards Yeosang had the librarian grin at him cheerfully.</p><p>“At least that I didn’t mess up. Getting you out of that hellhole of a palace was a good idea, after all.”</p><p>Solemn, Yeosang nodded. If Jongho hadn’t disappeared in the middle of the night like the mysterious but attractive robber dressed in black that novels wrote about and startled Yeosang out of his slumber because he hid from the guards, then Yeosang never would have experienced true freedom. Whenever he thought about the Jongho, he first met, and his closed-off, tough facade, a smile sneaked on Yeosang’s lips. Actual Jongho worked so hard and was such a good and devoted person. Yeosang liked that aspect about him.</p><p>“Yeah. I owe you a lot for all your help. I don’t know where I will be after this, and what will happen to Seonghwa and me, but I will make sure to pay you back somehow,” Yeosang agreed with steely willpower. No matter what the palace problem turned out to be, he would make sure that Jongho got the reward he deserved. Even if it meant that he had to break in and steal a Bishop or their plans on nethicite energies to please the man.</p><p>“Let’s see about that. We should hope that the problem is not too large for now. I would rather discover a mole in the palace and pull him aside to have a talk rather than hear that the whole royal family is suspicious and involved in a strategy that includes us all.”</p><p>Yeosang just wanted to add to that, when San glanced over his shoulder at the two of them. At Jongho’s glare because of the interruption, he ducked his head apologetically.</p><p>“I just wanted to ask about Bricky. Could we, in theory, send him to the palace to keep in touch with anything that happens there? Or are we missing a link there?”</p><p>Mingi also curiously turned to look at them. While Jongho reached out to call Bricky back to him, Yeosang thought about it sharply.</p><p>“True, we should use him to build a connection between us, the palace, and Seonghwa. As for a person in the palace…” </p><p>Wooyoung’s face flashed Yeosang’s mind. He was the only one that he could ask, but he doubted the man. One word from him and their survival would be exposed. If they contacted him, Yeosang would have to word his questions very carefully.</p><p>“There is one. I don’t know yet if he will offer to help, but we can try.”</p><p>San looked excited at the prospect. He called for a short break so that Yeosang could use a page from his notebook to write a message to Wooyoung. As he did, Jongho and Mingi hovered above him quite impressed at his writing skill. Back when Jongho had written his name in Yeosang’s book, his writing had looked like that of a child. Every stroke of his pen had been mulled over and drawn with care so slow that the lines had become shaky. It was cute. Yeosang treasured that page in his book the most.</p><p>Yeosang didn’t mind the two pairs of curious eyes above him. <em>Dear Wooyoung</em>, he wrote.</p><p>
  <em>As you presumably have noticed by now, I have disappeared from my chambers. I hope you haven’t run into any troubles with the guards for not taking care of me well enough. I am at the best of health and chose to leave on my own accord. Right now, I am seeking for truth about myself. If you were to aid me with that, I would gladly appreciate it. I will return soon, but I need to know what is going on in the palace as my utmost priority.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Best if this stays between us, too.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Send Bricky back with your reply, he will find me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your Friend<br/>
Yeosang</em>
</p><p>Once he was done, he handed the note to San. He skimmed it with swift eyes before he nodded. It was cryptic enough not to mention Seonghwa or their current location.</p><p>Bricky remained seated on Jongho’s hand patiently while Yeosang fixed the message around his leg. They told him to go to the only man that he knew outside of their group. Yeosang prayed that Wooyoung would recognise the bird before the Bishops could damage him.</p><p>Once Bricky had fluttered off, they remained their walk. This time, it was San who wandered next to Yeosang and told him about the canyon. While they smartly discussed water torrents and earthquakes, Yeosang overheard with one ear how Jongho told Mingi about someone named Yunho behind them.</p><p>He had no idea which Yunho this was about, but he figured the most likely guess would be Jongho's brother.</p><p>Their trip took them deeper inside the dark canyon to the place that San called Blagbarrow. According to him, the little settlement was about two day’s march, and they had lots of time until then to figure out how to convince the less diplomatic people there to help them. San was confident that they could do it, though, so Yeosang believed him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Night dawned upon the group before they reached the little hidden place of Blagbarrow. San assured them that they had already covered a good part of their route and would reach their destination soon. While Mingi and Jongho took care of setting up their encampment, San asked Yeosang to help him prepare the food. They all carried some of their rations, and it was time to distribute them fairly and evenly between them. Yeosang sat on the cold ground and held the platters for San to pile food on. His eyes were transfixed on the other two and their laughter when they teased each other for any mishaps. Their liveliness amused Yeosang and kept his spirits up even in the dark of the canyon. Here, the rushing from the water underneath them had become a constant companion on their voyage. With the distance between the ocean and them, he could tell the difference from the smaller stream between them and the vast open ocean.</p><p>“Glad to see they’re having fun.”</p><p>San had followed Yeosang’s line of sight to the playful duo. His dimples were apparent on his face when he regarded them with a smile. He looked like a satisfied father who had taken his kids out to play.</p><p>“They are like siblings,” Yeosang agreed good-naturedly. In the time he spent getting to know Jongho and Mingi together, it had quickly become apparent that Mingi regarded the other one as his younger brother. Given Mingi’s large family and the number of his siblings, Yeosang could see how that happened. For Jongho, however, he had to assume that Mingi reminded the man of Yunho. From what he had seen and heard of Yunho before, the two had quite some similarities. Yeosang had never asked where Yunho had gone, but based on Jongho’s current style of living, Yeosang didn’t expect him to return anytime soon.</p><p>“Do you have siblings, San?”</p><p>The question was meant rather politely so that they could fill the uncomfortable silence of the canyon that could be deafening if not for the water beneath them. San gladly took it.</p><p>“I have an older sister, but she left Qam a while ago. She travelled over the ocean to find work there. By now, she probably found a loving husband or wife and has an established and fulfilled life. At least I hope she has.” He winked at Yeosang when he gave his plate two cookies and didn’t put one on his own. The sweet gesture had Yeosang blush. He bet the pathfinder who was far broader and stronger build than Yeosang himself needed it more, but he wouldn’t complain. Instead, he secretly noted how inclusive of both genders San’s words had been. It was safe to assume he had reasons to spell it out like that.</p><p>“That sounds like a nice outlook, yes. I also wish her the best. Hopefully, I can say the same about Seonghwa one day without having to fear for his life.”</p><p>“Worry not, little bird. From how he and Hongjoong get along ever since they arrived here, I can say relatively confidently that Seonghwa will have him at his side from now on. Just like you and Jongho are.”</p><p>His agreement on the relationship of his brother to the air pilot came to no surprise to Yeosang. His last sentence did.</p><p>“Jongho? I don’t have such ties with Jongho.”</p><p>San stilled in his movements to look at him cryptically.</p><p>“You don’t?”</p><p>Yeosang swiftly shook his head. The confusion was etched into his features at the bold claim. Did he and Jongho seem like a couple to other people? The thought had never crossed Yeosang’s mind. While he found Jongho attractive and intensely fascinating, he had never assumed that interest to be more than philosophical.</p><p>“Yet I was so sure… Does that mean you are free for anybody to approach?”</p><p>An abrupt redness took over Yeosang’s features and warmed his cheeks. San’s teasing voice bordered something more serious, and Yeosang couldn’t deny the sweet curl of excitement it ignited in his stomach. The devotion of a man as exotic and fascinating as San towards Yeosang had his mind reel.</p><p>“Ah, yes, I am. But I can’t promise my full emotional availability.” Yeosang’s heart beat in his chest, fast like the wings of a bird as he said that. With a chuckle, San reached out to tap the tip of his nose playfully with his pointer finger. He still wore those black leather gloves that wrapped his hands so charmingly.</p><p>“Let’s see about that. You would be surprised how convincing I can be.”</p><p>They giggled with each other even when Yeosang was left nearly breathless from the joy in his chest. He had never had the attention of a man anywhere near San’s level on him, and while it made him incredibly self-conscious and unsure how to proceed, it also had him glow with power and eagerness. He wanted to prove to San that he was worth his time.</p><p>The two of them fell into a comfortable silence. Yeosang pondered how to take San’s sugary words and how to proceed, while San busied his hands with the completion of their meals. By the time they were done, Jongho and Mingi had also set up the mats on the ground and made sure that they had some heat-generating lamp in their middle that Mingi kept cranking up whenever it glimmered down.</p><p>They all joined around the fire to share their meal and discuss the approaching day. By San’s calculations, they should reach Blagbarrow by the next evening if they weren’t interrupted by anything. Yeosang didn’t know what could hinder them between two boring grey walls of stone, but he chose not to ask. Instead, he grinned cheerfully at Jongho who sat opposite him on the other side of the lamp and watched him with a blank expression. At his smile, he belatedly also grinned.</p><p>He had been odd these days. Time come, Yeosang should assure himself of the man’s comfort. Even if he didn’t know the other male well, Yeosang noticed the shift in his behaviour since they entered the canyon. Maybe he was sad because Yeosang got Seonghwa back, but he never reunited with Yunho. Maybe he felt left out because Mingi also met Hongjoong. Maybe he was anxious about their mission. Yeosang should definitely ask him and offer his genuine help.</p><p>The general atmosphere in the group was slightly off. While Mingi especially did his best to entertain all of them with his stories and ideas, he couldn’t quite lift the tension of all of them. Jongho had retreated into his shell of mysteriousness around San since he didn’t know him well. Yeosang tried to watch out for both of them and respond to Mingi just how he tried not to make Jongho additionally uncomfortable. San merely sat next to them with his body supported by one arm behind him and replied nonchalantly and with the same charms they knew from him.</p><p>Night came with coldness. Even during their meal, they all had huddled in their blankets, but the colder it got, the more Yeosang felt it creep through the fabric. With hungry fingers, it reached for his warm flesh to take all his liveliness away from him. Would it get cold enough at night for them to freeze? Yeosang wasn’t too keen on trying that out.</p><p>Once it was time to sleep, Jongho and Mingi flopped down on their respective mats and were out like lights. There was no need to have a nightguard since nobody wandered these steep paths, and even if they did, San was confident that he would hear them even from a large distance. Yeosang took a while longer to adjust and find a convenient position on the uncomfortable ground. Despite the mat, the coldness seeped from the stone. Whenever Yeosang’s body calmed for a while, the need to move and keep himself warm overpowered him again.</p><p>For a moment, he considered staying up and walking in frustrated circles instead. His tired mind was discouraged with his restlessness since it recognised the need to gather new energy for the next day. Before he could rise, however, a movement behind him had him freeze. For a second, he waited for reprimands with bated breath. Nothing came but the scrape of a mat against the rough floor. It echoed loudly through the gorge, but Mingi and Jongho didn’t stir.</p><p>Yeosang turned to blink through the darkness at San, who shifted his mat to lay directly behind Yeosang. No word was uttered when his warm body pressed up right against Yeosang, and a strong arm pulled them close together. San adjusted his blanket for a moment until both of them laid aligned and shared each other’s warmth while their blankets covered both of them on either side.</p><p>Yeosang sighed into the feeling of warmth that overcame him ultimately. Their snug closeness also had his heart rate pick up, and his mind reawakened from its drowsiness, but he appreciated the heat too much to wriggle away. Instead, he fell into the feeling of San’s legs aligning with his, and his regular breaths against his neck. He managed to relax within a short time. Finally, he could wait for sleep to overwhelm him until he forgot everything about chasms and betrayal and the cold.</p><p>-</p><p>Surprisingly, Yeosang awoke before San in the morning. When he blinked his eyes open, San’s arm was still wrapped around his waist snugly. The pink-haired man had buried his face in Yeosang’s shoulder, and both of their bodies were warm and cosy underneath their blankets. Judging from the pain that zapped through Yeosang’s back as soon as he rose his neck, though, sleeping on the floor had not been the most comfortable thing to do for his body.</p><p>Jongho was the only one awake. He busied himself with the gadgets on his leg, as he unscrewed some of the parts to tinker with them. At first, he didn’t notice Yeosang’s awareness of his every move, but when Yeosang groggily looked around to check on Mingi, he also rose his head. At once, he didn’t block the little body of Bricky on his shoulder anymore. Yeosang’s face lit up at the sight of the little bird. Without a comment, Jongho picked him up and handed him over to Yeosang. With Bricky in his hand, Yeosang relished in San’s warmth and the blankets for a few moments longer.</p><p>Bricky had a tiny note tied to one of his brass legs. While he sat patiently still and hummed the melody that reminded Yeosang so distinctively of Jongho by now, Yeosang took it from him and opened it. Quickly, his eyes scanned the note.</p><p>
  <em>Dear Yeosang</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I am relieved to hear that you have made it out safely. From what I hear of the king’s plans, you scored the right time to do so.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The king is setting up another army. According to the Minister of Defence, he seeks to eradicate Gizfall, the kingdom we lost against last time. The Bishops are his stronger army that doesn’t need as many victims to be sacrificed for our victory. He has gained support all through the castle and kingdom, especially since we are sure by now that one of their spies must have murdered Prince Seonghwa. May his soul rest in peace.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Our king's determination to avenge his son is enormous and gives the people new hope. I can’t make any predictions about how successful this war will be, but the Bishops are indeed a powerful weapon.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He didn’t mention you, as far as I know. If that changes, I will contact you immediately. I hope you are safe wherever you are, Yeosang. Take care.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your Friend<br/>Wooyoung</em>
</p><p>A mixture of emotions flooded Yeosang. While glad to have gained Wooyoung as an ally, the news he had reported were unsettling. Yeosang didn’t doubt that with the Bishops and the Spheres, the king had a mighty militia and could avenge his past loss. But where would another war lead them to? Expansion? More war? Even if he didn’t plan to sacrifice many human lives, he still risked both cities by breaking the treaty.</p><p>San silently reached up to pull the note from Yeosang’s hand and read it himself. While he was busy, Yeosang slowly sat up and adjusted his rumpled clothing. Jongho wasn’t looking at him when he glanced over.</p><p>San was.</p><p>“You should tell your brother about this. Let’s see what he has to say and if he knows anything about it. As soon as you wrote out the message, we will be back on our way. Whatever it is that we might find here and that is able to stop the king, we might want to discover it before the earth starts quaking with another human-imposed battle.”</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello people!</p><p>I wanted to inform you that I will be moving in two weeks and thus have a lot of things to do. I will update until then, but I can't promise you daily updates or a regular schedule for a while! I hope you can be patient~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Yunho's Story</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seonghwa had expressed his surprise and distrust in the king's new plans in the letter he wrote back to the traveller group the same night. He didn't regard the news as too surprising since the treaty with Gizfall had been brittle since the beginning. The surrender of Asora had come with a stigma of shame and fragility within their own population as well as other kingdoms. Yeosang assumed that it had never left the king's mind and that after the years of building a powerful army, he had now decided to take his revenge.</p><p>Seonghwa's presumable murder fell conveniently close into the spectrum of motivations for another war. But while Yeosang was wary of that fact, he still held to his belief stubbornly. He wouldn't condemn the king himself before he had proof that he was the one behind all the recent issues. If Yeosang also associated people based on rumours, how could he be friends with Mingi and Jongho? It didn't make any sense.</p><p>On their travel through the canyon, the group had switched up walking partners once more. Today, Yeosang and Mingi wandered side by side while Jongho spent his time with San. The mood between the two of them was less tense than on prior days, but Yeosang still watched their every interaction cautiously. Jongho made no effort to hide his blatant dislike of San, and while San didn't exactly return it, his grins were frostier and chilled Yeosang to the bone whenever he threw them at the mechanic. A little voice inside Yeosang told him she should protect San and make sure he wouldn't get stared at like this, but there was no need for him to step in. Jongho quite disliked sudden heroic attempts on his costs anyway.</p><p>Mingi was mostly quiet on Yeosang's side today. He hadn't spoken much ever since the morning, and his eyes seemed tired when he let them slide through the dark gorge to check on their surroundings. As a little comfort for his bad mood, Yeosang had told Bricky to stay on his shoulder, and Mingi had acknowledged the little companion with a droopy grin.</p><p>Since he wasn't part of any conversation, Yeosang was left with much time to think by himself. About his trust in the king despite years of getting shunned. About Seonghwa and the cruel fate that had been bestowed on him even when they had allowed him around since ever. About whatever it was down here that could prove Asora's guilt or innocence. He was positive that Seonghwa was truthful in his assumption, but even if he could prove the king's faults with it, then what? Seonghwa wouldn't be able to overthrow the king all by himself. The Bishops made powerful weapons, and even outside of that the royal family was no force to take down easily.</p><p>In all the years Seonghwa had spent plotting against the king in secret and gaining allies, Yeosang didn't doubt that he would be able to slip back in like a mole and twist a few cranks until the machine that held them all together fell apart. (That was how Jongho would say it, and Yeosang was very proud of having gotten behind his mechanics-oriented brain.) But the king wasn't an issue by himself. It was the military, the ministers, all that made the kingdom. If Seonghwa were to eradicate and find faults in all that, he would also destroy all of Asora. And its sad remains would get trampled to the ground by the bitter and hateful people of Zey.</p><p>Yeosang saw no possible positive outcome in this. Their way of survival was to yield and stay low. Perhaps one day, a better opportunity to defeat their father would rouse. And then Seonghwa had to be ready. Even if he had nobody to ally with, even if his few companions were Yeosang, Hongjoong, San maybe, and their Zey duo at most.</p><p>And even the Zey duo... Yeosang couldn't fathom what would happen to them in either scenario. How would the tables turn once the king acted? In their favour, or against it? Ultimately, he was too afraid to think about it. Like a coward, he locked those thoughts away and focused on the canyon, its steep and rough walls, and the humidity that clung to them like insects attracted to a particularly sticky window.</p><p>"Hey, I've been thinking about that army the king is building."</p><p>Mingi's sudden start had Yeosang glance up at him curiously. His eyes had cleared from some of their tiredness, and he wore his back straighter than earlier. With his full attention on him, Yeosang heeded his steps half-heartedly so that he wouldn't run into San.</p><p>"The Spheres have been around for a long time, but the war started four years ago and went for two. From how long it took to develop the Spheres as they are now, I think it's hardly possible to perfect a new weapon such as the Bishops in such little time. Either they must he prototypes, or they have many unfinished edges."</p><p>Yeosang tried to remember what he had learnt about them. Indeed, the automatons hadn't been as large of a topic in his classes as one might expect. Yet, his teachers had introduced him to their blueprints and distinct features.</p><p>"The Bishops are different from the Spheres. They are more modern and easier to build, hence the hurry. Their core is made of nethicite, and by that, they run a lot smoother and bug-free compared to the Spheres. They do have a high risk of exploding, but so far that has never happened outside of training grounds. I bet they made it into a feature, too, so that they could utilise it. Since they don't cost Asora too much money, they are easy to replace."</p><p>With a dark nod, Mingi stared out over Jongho's head. The two men up front had fallen quiet as they eavesdropped on their conversation. The knowledge that it cost Zey many hours of labour, sickness and lives didn't need to be mentioned.</p><p>"So none were built before the war?"</p><p>"Not as far as I know. Of course, the plans for weaponized androids had been around ever since we developed the Spheres, too. The concept was similar, so I would assume that they could be so quick only because the idea was recycled and Zey worked hard for them. I must say, as unsettling as I find the Bishops, though, I would rather have them be sent to war and see the westsiders work in their mines instead of their bodies being strewn over a battlefield that they didn't choose." Yeosang underlined his words with a determined agreement.</p><p>Mingi swayed his head left and right as if he had to consider Yeosang's words first. Clueless, the librarian just watched him.</p><p>"But who builds the robots? Other robots?"</p><p>Blank, Yeosang tried to find an answer to that. He had never cared enough about those machines to question their origin. If anything, he wanted them to disappear, even if he saw why it would be sensical to use them as a weapon.</p><p>"I think the king has a team for that. A team of mechanics. They gather the materials from Zey and piece them together to create an automaton." With doubt in his voice, Yeosang glanced up at Mingi. The man still seemed dissatisfied with that answer.</p><p>"Are there enough to beat a kingdom, though? Even if one of them equals five soldiers, they cannot withstand all kinds of attacks. Within those years, did they build enough of them to ensure they wouldn't take any soldiers? Because from what I heard by now from Seonghwa and you, there might be many of them, but they might still recruit human warriors for the army."</p><p>Finally, Yeosang started to catch up with his impressions.</p><p>"You mean that they might risk human lives anyway? Even if they promise to send the robots instead?"</p><p>Grim, Mingi nodded at him. His eyes were dark over his pursed lips.</p><p>"Clearly, some sort of troop will have to go with them as means of commanding anyway. But I keep wondering... Since the Bishops are secret to the people of Zey... Would they get people from there anyway to sacrifice them for their foolish goals? Even if they need them as workers, recruiting them in the war keeps the vermin they symbolise for Asora at bay."</p><p>At that, Yeosang gasped softly. He knew that all members of their current troop, including Seonghwa, Hongjoong, and Wooyoung all fell into the right age range to be forced to go to war. None of them had a valid excuse not to either. If they were around, soldiers would come and get them for their selfish goals.</p><p>"But usually they don't take untrained forces. Asora has an army of its own that represents the royal family. They are trained military; an impact-resistant troop of human soldiers that decided on their own accord to become stronger and fight for their home." One of their officers had been Yeosang's teacher in martial arts. Not his favourite topic, but he had quite enjoyed the training alongside people like Wooyoung who dedicated their time to the safety of their home.</p><p>However, Mingi chuckled humorlessly at that statement.</p><p>"They wouldn't take untrained forces? Only Asora people?"</p><p>Confused, Yeosang nodded at him. A permanent frown had etched into his forehead. Mingi questioned a lot of things today, and his critique made Yeosang feel self-conscious. He walked on eggshells, just waiting for Mingi to blow up and rage about him, too. Yeosang still came from the very family they all despised; there was no denying it.</p><p>"How odd. In the last war, Asora's people came back. And the untrained forces they took from Zey for their own goals didn't."</p><p>Yeosang shook his head quickly and didn't mind the curious glance that San threw over his shoulder. He watched them, ready to de-escalate things.</p><p>"No, they didn't take people from Zey. They took some people from Asora, untrained ones, but they gave them basic training and put them in positions that didn't endanger their lives more than necessary!"</p><p>The soft giggle that replied to his echoing shout came didn't come from Mingi. Surprisingly, it was from San.</p><p>"Wrong, little birdie," he murmured under his breath. Yeosang faltered in his words.</p><p>Mingi copied the laughter, but his deep voice made it sound harsher and far icier than San's sad whisper.</p><p>"Then how do you explain that they took Jongho's brother Yunho, a man from Zey, but him in their army, untrained, and had him fulfil a kamikaze mission in the forlorn hope squad they put him in? I don't know about you, but if you found a few bits of his body they had him blow to pieces for their stupid win they didn't get, then I would love to hear his opinion on this matter."</p><p>Abruptly, Yeosang halted in his steps. His eyes were wide as he gaped at Jongho. As his whole expression slipped to contort into something akin to horror, his heart was also seized with sadness. Like a spool of wool, it wrapped around the beating organ and strung it in as if it wanted to suffocate it. For a second, the world twirled around Yeosang, and everything disappeared outside of his blurry peripherals. There was only Jongho's broad back, and the strict glare he threw at Mingi.</p><p>"Mingi. Enough."</p><p>Yeosang's vision tunnelled in on him, on the nonchalance in his features. The words had been sharp like a knife, but they hadn't cut him. They tore up only Yeosang's heart.</p><p>Yunho... A man Yeosang had never met in his life, but he had seldom felt as much shame and guilt for someone.</p><p>The group halted when Yeosang stayed rooted on the spot. He could feel his paleness, could feel how flat his breaths were and how much his lungs constricted him. They jabbed at every breath with him in grief.</p><p>Jongho sighed when Mingi instantly fell quiet.</p><p>"Don't worry about it, Yeosang. You have enough going on. Also, Mingi, I don't want this to be part of the relationship between all of us. Could we please just let him rest already?"</p><p>Mingi pouted. His apologetic eyes held remorse for speaking out of place, but he didn't take back his words.</p><p>"He needs to know, Jongho. We can't trust his jurisdiction if he is blinded like that."</p><p>"Use your own mind, then. We know that he isn't ill-minded towards us and grew up in a messed up household. Not everybody is allowed to speak their mind in these lands, Mingi. Please remember that before you push the blame on people."</p><p>Jongho's voice was gentle and void of any hard feelings. He even stepped over to wrap an arm brotherly around Mingi's shoulder as far as he could reach. In the glance he threw at Yeosang, the librarian detected a shimmer of sadness. But also disappointment. Why was there disappointment?</p><p>"San, please take care of him. If my eyes aren't betraying me, then that in the distance should be our goal."</p><p>Jongho took off with Mingi first. Yeosang was left to lean into San's strong and warm body when the man pulled him in to walk by his side.</p><p>Yet, a frosty coldness that had nothing to do with the canyon had settled in his heart.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Blagbarrow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Like the old and worn pages of a book, Yeosang's world was crumbling.</p><p>It had faded around the edges for years, wavering and trembling with doubt. Not even once his beliefs had found solid forms, whether they were his own or the ones that were taught to him.</p><p>However, ever since Seonghwa's disappearance followed by his return, rips that travelled from those worn corners towards the core of Yeosang's mind had formed. They deepened with every new revelation about Seonghwa, the palace, and now, Jongho. The man that Yeosang knew was hiding a lot, but he wouldn't have expected this sudden turn.</p><p>The rips were pushing his borders. They had him hesitate, had him doubt and cast suspicions about everything he had ever known. As much as he desperately tried to shove them away, it seemed as if the horrendous truth that he didn't want to acknowledge loomed right behind him and only waited for him to turn. Its icy fingers tickled the hair on the back of his neck already and had him freeze in fear.</p><p>Yeosang didn't want to gaze upon its grotesque features. He wanted to deny for however long possible. But Mingi and his keen mind had uncovered his insecure stance in the eye of the storm.</p><p>The fear of being swept away and losing himself in that raging storm overwhelmed Yeosang.</p><p>He kept his head low and eyes cast downward as he entered the little village at San's side. As expected, fewer houses held themselves in the gorge and stretched the dwindling legs made of wood that kept them in their web between the walls. The few people that milled around eyed the newcomers warily, but some of them seemed to recognise San, too. They didn't seem pleased with his appearance.</p><p>Without an ounce of fear, San approached one particularly grumpy looking man. His warm arm around Yeosang's supplied the librarian with comfort and security.</p><p>"Lead me to your mayor," San asked not particularly polite but at least in a friendly tone. He was rewarded with a withering glare.</p><p>"What do you want here? You know that the likes of you are not welcome here." Gruffly, the man snarled at them and looked the strangers up and down. His distaste was palpable in the tense air.</p><p>"I am well aware of that. But my business concerns only the mayor and me. Now if you would please either point us to him or mind the grease?"</p><p>San's eyes were sharp like those of a fox and penetrating to the core. If he had looked at Yeosang like that he would have cowered in fear.</p><p>The man, however, just snorted at them. He nodded his chin at one of the huts and stomped away to gossip about their arrival.</p><p>With malicious eyes stuck to them as if the group was glazed with delicious honey, they halted in front of the mayor's hut. After he made sure that everyone was there, San rose his hand to knock on the door.</p><p>Even at the first pull on the entrance, the person behind was guarded. They had no way of knowing who it was that dawned upon them. Yeosang assumed that similar to Zey, Blagbarrow also couldn't trust their own people.</p><p>The man who opened the door for them seemed to be the same age as San's father also was. Compared to Qam's mayor, this person had tired eyes and lips pursed into a constant thin line. Even when he gazed upon the troop, his features didn't display a hint of joy. Rather, he narrowed his eyes at them even more.</p><p>"Choi. What do you want here?"</p><p>San gave him a charming smile, but it held frostiness. Uncomfortable, Yeosang shifted his weigh so he wouldn't lean on the other man too much.</p><p>"We came to trade information and ask for a place to stay for the night. As morning dawns, we will be out of your hair."</p><p>The mayor's suspicious eyes travelled over the other three. Yeosang tried not to stand out too much. While Mingi and Jongho might as well be from Qam or get recognised as people from Zey, Yeosang stuck out like a sore thumb. As if the word 'eastsider' was written on his forehead, he ducked into San's side.</p><p>"What information could you offer that requires you to come here instead of waiting until we hear about it via trade?" The man had stepped away from his secure position behind the door by now and faced them upfront. His arms were crossed in a defensive stance.</p><p>"Information about the Undying. The upper world is changing, and we might get caught up on another war. It is only fair to notify you soon enough so that you could prepare."</p><p>San was an expert in haggling. His direct and simplistic words had the man cease his doubts. After a moment, he stepped aside to let them in.</p><p>"Fine. But only one night."</p><p>As he went ahead of them into his home, Yeosang just moved to follow him when San held him back. Surprised, Yeosang froze when the man leaned in to whisper into his ear. His warm breath tickled Yeosang's sensitive skin. Pleasant shivers travelled over his neck.</p><p>"Don't mention that you are from Asora. He might rethink his decision."</p><p>Yeosang nodded shyly when San didn't pull back just yet. His hand lingered on Yeosang's shoulder as if he wanted to add something.</p><p>Jongho cleared his throat indiscreetly. The sound had San remove his palm ultimately.</p><p>With a motion of his hand for the men to follow, San stepped into the warm house first. The woman seated at the table further in nodded at him once she recognised his features. Then, she refocused her attention on the book in her lap.</p><p>"I hope you don't expect me also to feed you all. I can offer you water or tea at most."</p><p>"Tea is more than enough."</p><p>They found a place to settle down in the living room. Yeosang sat next to Jongho on one of the bamboo mats and soon received his tea to nurse. None of the three spoke up when San explained the situation to the mayor of Blagbarrow. He left out the origin of the group that travelled with him and wrote them off as a few friends he helped on a mission.</p><p>The mayor seemed increasingly frustrated with the news. In the beginning, he mostly frowned, but the more he got of the bigger picture, the further his lips turned downwards. By the time San finished, the older man sat opposite them with his fingers crossed in front of his chin and his brows dark like storm clouds.</p><p>"In case the war damages the canyon or soldiers get lost here, we should be ready. As usual, Qam offers all folks of Blagbarrow shelter. If you want to reunite with us to be closer to the port and able to flee at any time, then you and your people are our guests. I can arrange for that immediately."</p><p>Yeosang admired San's leadership potential. He had never found something similar in himself, and Seonghwa had these skills available because of his extensive training. In comparison to the two princes, however, San seemed like the born leader. He knew how to convince people to trust him and covered all the important facts that might be forgotten.</p><p>As Yeosang sat quietly and was lost in his own trance of waning sanity about what to believe and what not, he still found the time to be impressed by San for a moment.</p><p>"I will consider the wishes of my people and notify you by tomorrow. Thank you for taking the way upon you and telling us."</p><p>The mayor's voice had gotten more conciliable during their conversation. With the awareness that Blagbarrow was endangered if they didn't cooperate with Qam, he at least regained his senses and dropped some of his hostile remarks. San looked satisfied with that development.</p><p>"Of course. And please, do not worry about asking us for help even later if you choose to standby now. We shall not condemn you for your isolation." San bowed his head stiffly. That concluded their talk.</p><p>"Your quarters are one house over; my wife can show you around. I suggestionize you don't wander, but if you choose to, then I won't make the effort to excuse any trouble you might run into." The mayor finished his tea with a curt nod. Then, he left the room to notify his people of the unsettling news about the incoming war.</p><p>All of the men exhaled audibly as soon as he was out of earshot. Mingi was the first to giggle quietly.</p><p>"He's terrifying," he whispered towards San. The pink-haired man only rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Tell me about it."</p><p>The wife the mayor had mentioned fetched them shortly after and brought them to their quarters. In her presence, the inhabitants of Blagbarrow tried to hide the side-eyes they sent the troop subtly. Yeosang ignored them either way.</p><p>After they had settled and eaten some more of their precious provisions, San advised everybody to sleep early and relish in the feeling of a soft bed under their backs. Most of the boys immediately heeded his words.</p><p>But not Yeosang.</p><p>Yeosang spent half an hour with his friends rolling around restlessly. When sleep stayed far from his reach, he soon gave up on it and stepped out so he wouldn't bother the others.</p><p>Blagbarrow was beautiful at night. The inhabitants had taken their displeased faces to bed and left the still village as the little bastion of loneliness it marked in the canyon. It was far less lively than Qam, especially at night, but Yeosang welcomed the silence as he walked the wooden gangplanks between both sides of the canyon.</p><p>It was so easy to transgress here. He could walk from east to west and back, and no chasm, no row of androids, and no wall of devious stereotypes intervened. The little lanterns that lit the village dimly barely sufficed for him to see his shoes, yet they were everything he needed.</p><p>The dull patter of his footwear on the wood accompanied him through the sleeping village. For the first time, he felt trapped between those two walls. His mind seemed closed off as the lack of an open sky, and the ocean also cornered in his thoughts.</p><p>Yeosang's breath formed little clouds in front of his face and his hands slowly numbed as he stood leaned against the balustrade of a gangplank. It was the one furthest towards the black abyss that the gorge formed. When he concentrated, he noticed that the space around them had already grown more narrow than in Qam.</p><p>Soft steps on the planks behind him alerted Yeosang that he wasn't alone anymore. He didn't move an inch to let them pass in peace, but against his prediction, the person halted right next to him. With a thud, he let his body fall against the railing, too.</p><p>"It's getting darker," San commented. His voice was no more but a whisper in the cold duskiness. It carried a faint accent that showed only in his way of rolling the words with his tongue. Yeosang supposed it was a Qam thing.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Can't sleep?"</p><p>Yeosang chuckled to himself. He had tried not to be obvious and expose his troubles to everyone, but as it seemed, he had failed.</p><p>"My mind is all over the place. I feel like it's breaking apart and I have nowhere to go. It scares me."</p><p>Side by side, they looked into the unknown void. Yeosang's belly clenched uncomfortably.</p><p>"Your friends are there for you. Even I am, though we barely know each other."</p><p>Yeosang threw him a thankful glance that San countered with a grin. The play of light and shadows let his pronounced cheekbones and dimples stand out stark against his features.</p><p>"Would you like to become a closer friend of mine? And get to know each other better?"</p><p>San allowed the thought to settle for a moment. He studied Yeosang's naive smile for a while before he turned his body and took a step forwards. As his body halted so close to Yeosang's, his heart rate picked up.</p><p>Oh so slowly, San reached out to gently cup Yeosang's chin. The librarian's insides swooped when his eyes met San's once his head was angled up. San was pretty in this light, and his eyes were just as magnificent as the night sky Yeosang adored so much.</p><p>"I do. In particular, I would like to get to know those lips of yours better, little birdie. But only if you want that, too."</p><p>The message was clear. It had been clear from the beginning. San was after something particular. From how Yeosang's heart raced, he couldn't deny his shared interest in that. All too easily, his heart gave in.</p><p>"Be gentle. It's my first time doing this."</p><p>San's thumb stroked over Yeosang's skin and left a burning trail there like a star that crossed the skies.</p><p>"Of course."</p><p>Yeosang's eyes fluttered shut when San closed the last gap between them. His kisses were shy and left Yeosang all the time to shudder in his grip from sensitivity. Only once Yeosang mustered the confidence to let his arms slide over San's broad shoulders, he deepened the kiss.</p><p>Yeosang found that indulging in San's sweet caresses took all the worries away from him. His head was blank as he fell into the other man. His wildly beating heart overtook everything.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. A Trail</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hello, friends please look at this San fanart a dear reader made for me! You can find her via my Twitter Susimau_s</p><p>**********</p><p>Yeosang was the last one to rise since it had taken him some time to fall asleep. The blankets that Jongho and San had slept on were already neatly folded and put away in the cupboard they had come from. While Mingi wasn't in the room, his blankets had remained in a messy heap.</p><p>Once Yeosang had blinked the sleep from his eyes, he cleaned up both his and Mingi's things first before he left the room. Just like in Qam, he found the rest of them seated downstairs in the living room. The mayor and San were neck-deep in some conversation about the future of Blagbarrow and the possibilities of war. Jongho and Mingi played with Bricky in their midst. Overnight, he must have come back with another letter from Seonghwa.</p><p>San dropped a quick greeting on Yeosang before he continued his heated discussion. After a faint smile at him, Yeosang joined the other two on the ground to wait.</p><p>"Hey, you were late with sleep last night, you good, man?" Mingi was invested in Yeosang's wellbeing. At the question, even the recently rather quiet Jongho rose a worried brow at Yeosang. He was quick to assure both of them.</p><p>"I'm fine. I just had a lot on my mind that kept me up. But I did sleep for long enough that San won't have to complain about my lack of strength." With the brightest smile in his repertoire, Yeosang gently hit his shoulder against Mingi's. The man already frowned at a new thought that plagued him.</p><p>"Was it about what I said? Yeosang, I'm really sorry about that. I was tactless towards you both." Like a kicked puppy, he exchanged glances with the two of them. Bricky hopped over his shoulder joyfully. The melody he hummed eased Yeosang pleasantly into the morning.</p><p>"No, I needed that wake-up call, definitely. Don't be sorry about that. Generally, much is going on."</p><p>Jongho nodded grimly. His mechanics-wrapped arm and leg rested close by his body, closer maybe than usual. Yeosang wondered if he had received bad comments about it. He wouldn't put it past the people of Blagbarrow.</p><p>Mingi still looked sorry, but he accepted his forgiveness. Soon enough, his expression evened out again when they returned to more lighthearted banter.</p><p>"The mayor told us that from here on, we have to climb the walls again. The tunnels end here, and according to him, there's only one other settlement further down the canyon. A hermit, as it sounds. He sometimes comes here to trade a few things, but they don't see much of him." Jongho's voice was also still gruff from sleep.</p><p>Yeosang blinked surprisedly.</p><p>"He always climbs over? That sounds like a lot of work."</p><p>"Maybe that's why they don't see him often." With a shrug, Jongho focused back on San. The man had just said his last goodbyes to the mayor and now came over to the group.</p><p>"Alright, let's go."</p><p>His voice was strained from the unpleasant conversation he had with the other man. None of them hesitated to get to their feet and flee the scene. The mayor gruffly told them to take care mostly out of politeness rather than actual care. Led by San, they left Blagbarrow and made their way to one of their platforms that allowed them to climb the canyon wall. Once everybody was out of sight, Yeosang couldn't help but exhale relieved. The others all looked understanding of that sound.</p><p>"He wasn't very cooperative, right?" Sympathetic, Yeosang rubbed San's shoulder while the other two already made their way up. Mingi was full of energy today, and he led their little group into the only possible direction. All the while, he upheld cheerful conversation with Jongho.</p><p>"Of course not. The geezer wanted me to ask again and keep him updated with the newest developments in the palace. Blagbarrow's people are so... Selfish. Life down here is already hard, and we have to work together to make it work. They usually just make it extra difficult for Qam."</p><p>Disappointed, San shook his head. His fingers pulled the rope in his hands tight unnecessarily hard and until his bones stood out white against his knuckles.</p><p>Yeosang reflexively reached out and grasped the man's hands in his gently. When their warm skin met, San's grip lessened slightly. The tension around his mouth and eyebrows smoothed out like a water surface when the torrents died down.</p><p>"I'm glad you still offer help to them. That's very kind of both Qam and yourself. They should appreciate your aid more."</p><p>San's eyes softened at the honesty in Yeosang's voice. He rose one hand from the rope to reach out for Yeosang's face. His leather-clad fingers smoothly cupped his jaw.</p><p>"Thank you, Yeosang."</p><p>San leaned forward to kiss Yeosang sweetly. With a little jump of his heart, Yeosang willingly sank against him and responded. He was bad at kissing, would probably still be for a while, but San didn't seem to mind. His full lips were gentle in their presses even as San angled their heads to deepen the kiss.</p><p>"San! Could you bring another rope over because-"</p><p>Yeosang startled at Jongho's call. He pulled back immediately, and redness spread hotly over his face. While he hadn't planned to make a secret out of this new development with San, he also didn't expect the man to turn so suddenly. For a moment, fear bubbled in his chest.</p><p>However, Jongho's expression didn't change as he stared back at them.</p><p>"Ah, nevermind. You two continue, we'll figure this out by ourselves."</p><p>His dismissive words cut unexpectedly deep, and Yeosang stilled at the pained jab his heart gave. Worried, he glanced down his chest.</p><p>"Give me a second!" San called back anyway. With a last smile that had his eyes turn into happy crescents and his dimples appear, San stepped away from Yeosang. His movements were swift and fully accustomed to the difficult edges of the wall as he climbed over. Far slower, Yeosang followed. He couldn't even curse his fear of height from how busy he was pondering Jongho's reaction.</p><p>He had seemed surprised at first, or at least sorry for interrupting them. But then he had been the one with the biting answer. Yeosang wasn't sure how to interpret his odd behaviour. How was it that the man seemed mad but wasn't mad at the same time?</p><p>Mightily confused, Yeosang climbed along the wall to catch up with the others. They needed flashlights by now since the light of day coming from the ocean side didn't reach them so far in. Even the light from above was sparse, and some overhangs made it difficult to see far.</p><p>The lights of the other three danced over the walls as they figured out whatever problem they had. The sporadic flashing had some insects that lived down here scurry away with quick feet. Yeosang apologised to them about the interruption in his mind.</p><p>By the time Yeosang reached the others, they had removed their issue and advanced onwards. More than ever, Yeosang was aware of how the jagged walls slowly but steadily closed in on them the further they went. Icy silence that was barely disrupted by the water far beneath them and the noises of them sliding along the wall wrapped around them. Yeosang was cold, and he desperately wanted to distract himself with a conversation.</p><p>"Say, what was Seonghwa's letter earlier about? I didn't get around to reading it before we took off."</p><p>Yeosang was glad that Mingi answered. He had the sneaking suspicion that if it had been San, then the other two would have distanced themselves again.</p><p>"He wrote that we should ask Wooyoung on a certain book he is looking for. Also that if possible, Wooyoung should get us the blueprints for the Bishops since Hongjoong apparently needs to verify something."</p><p>Yeosang tensely stared at his feet as he carefully took one step after the other.</p><p>Again the Bishops. Yeosang understood neither Seonghwa nor Mingi's obsession with them. Naturally, he agreed that Mingi had far more knowledge on them than he had himself. However, no matter who made them and how long it took them do develop the eerie soldiers, Yeosang would rather have them fight than actual soldiers. Everbody should approve even more of the option now that the story about Yunho was out.</p><p>"What book is he looking for?"</p><p>"Nothing important, just something historical? About the Chasm, I think, maybe he wants to search for traces of Qam in the palace books." Mingi ended his response in a little curse. Then, he whined about having squished a centipede with his fingers. Jongho's chuckle echoed lowly through the gorge. The sound lost itself in the black abyss underneath them.</p><p>San wisely kept quiet most of the time. The suspicion that Jongho had reacted weirdly to the two of them got seconded by his careful silence.</p><p>What was Seonghwa planning? Yeosang would give a lot for a long talk with his brother right now. Outside of their divided beliefs, he would like to know what it was that Seonghwa schemed so confidently. The idea couldn't possibly be new to him. From how precise his needs and questions were, he had prepared for this already back in the palace. He had never told Yeosang about anything related.</p><p>The faint stripe of light that fell on them gradually wandered with the day. It shifted from one wall to the other and took away the bits of illumination it donated completely in the afternoon. The four of them watched it disappear from the two hammocks they had fixed opposite of each other on the walls. Yeosang sat nestled in San's arm to save warmth, and even Jongho and Mingi pressed their shoulders against each other. The glances that Mingi gave the new couple were curious. Jongho didn't spare them even a single gaze. He wore his mask again - to save warmth as Yeosang supposed - and was busy with something else at all times. Yeosang knew it was just for show when he caught the other man untying and retying his perfectly fine shoes.</p><p>Yeosang knew that they should talk about whatever was going on, but they hardly had the privacy at the moment. He hoped that once they overcame the last part of this journey and found the hermit, they would hopefully find a night on even grounds and spoke in all honesty.</p><p>"This hermit person... Will he help us?"</p><p>San hummed and rubbed his hand up and down Yeosang's shoulder to gather some warmth for him.</p><p>"I'm not sure. The mayor of Blagbarrow didn't sound particularly fond of him, and we don't have many records about him in Qam. But then again, every person that is hated by Blagbarrow is usually fine."</p><p>San smelled of some herbs and leather, vastly different from Jongho. Yeosang liked both scents, but San's was still more unfamiliar to him. It sparked excitement and nervosity in his heart. Did he smell good, too? He sure hoped so. Taking a bath was a bit of a hassle down here.</p><p>"So he might be a good person, after all. That would be nice. I don't know how many nights I actually want to spend hanging off the wall like this."</p><p>With a fond smile, San ruffled through Yeosang's hair. In the same movement, he pulled the man's head back down to rest against his shoulder. Satisfied, Yeosang cuddled up to him.</p><p>Once he had found a comfortable position to rest in, he curiously glanced over to Mingi and Jongho. The two of them talked quietly with each other as to not disrupt the eerie solitude of the canyon. Jongho had pulled his mask down as he chatted with Mingi, and Yeosang found his eyes oddly transfixed on his lips. Jongho pouted while he spoke and it was entirely too endearing for Yeosang to handle. He wanted to draw the man's soft cheeks and puckered lips right now, but it was hardly the time.</p><p>Today, however, his mind wandered in other directions, too.</p><p>What would it be like to kiss Jongho? Had Jongho ever kissed a person? He seemed much more experienced than Yeosang in any matter, so it was safe to assume he did. But now that Yeosang knew how nice kissing was, he couldn't help but wonder about it.</p><p>In comparison, both men's kisses were probably vastly different. But what would Yeosang feel if Jongho kissed him? Would it be similar to the emotions San triggered in him?</p><p>Yeosang blinked his eyes rapidly to get rid of the thought. What was he thinking? He shouldn't go around kissing whomever he pleased.</p><p>Yet, he knew that he was blushing behind the hands he used to rub some warmth into his cheeks.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. But a Scratch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yes, hello, sorry for the long delay but I am back!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The hermit lived at the literal end of the canyon. The way to his housing was so far that the group of four brave hikers even had to spend a night wrapped up like caterpillars hanging from the walls on their way to spread their wings. Yeosang felt more than unsafe in his hammock he shared with San, but no other option was available. He entrusted himself to San's arms and let the other man hold him close throughout the entire cold night. In the embrace of the other man, Yeosang finally found peace and even slept a few hours.</p><p>The night in the open chasm was chilling, and when Yeosang awoke, his limbs were stiff. He barely gulped down a few bites of their provisions before he already set out to hang from the wall again. By now, he felt far more comfortable with all sorts of climbing and even appreciated the risky task for the warmth in his muscles it brought. At least his body stayed in form, and he didn't have to worry about freezing as long as he kept moving.</p><p>Bricky was on a mission to Wooyoung today, and his missing hums majorly failed to lift Yeosang's mood.</p><p>He worried a lot. Too many insecure futures laid ahead of the group, and the cold and the little space they were stuck in down in the depths of the gorge made him anxious.</p><p>San had tried to comfort him earlier that day, but even his gentle words hadn't aided Yeosang.</p><p>They had parted with pressure gnawing at Yeosang's heart all the same.</p><p>Today, Yeosang avoided any glances at Jongho. The betrayal of his own heart the day prior regarding kisses from different men had disappointed him enough that he didn't dare look at his friend. Despite all the questions he had for Jongho and the enjoyment he experienced from their conversations, he couldn't bear to do either of these things. It further dampened his mood.</p><p>Thus, Yeosang climbed mostly on his own. He and San were stuck to one wall while Jongho and Mingi used the other. Like this, they could cover more ground and hopefully find whatever they were searching for faster. From how deep they were in the canyon, Yeosang wondered if by now another city had appeared above them, or if they would maybe find the mysterious object first before the hermit crossed their paths.</p><p>When he had opted to tell the idea to his friends, he had met disbelief. San had taken the patience to explain the matter to Yeosang.</p><p>"If he travels through here sometimes, then chances are he already picked it up. I suspect it might be a rather small object since it wouldn't fit so far in the back if it weren't. And if he passed it, he probably took it with him. We can just hope he didn't sell it to anyone or no one else had the same idea before Seonghwa. But he might know more about that."</p><p>That sent Yeosang into another long while of thinking and climbing. Today, he met a lizard that clearly had lost its way from the warm and food-rich rocks further up the canyon. It blinked at him with its double-lidded stark green eyes, and even if this specimen was the first lizard Yeosang ever met, he decided to like it. Its face was calm and showed no signs of fear and distractions. Only the four little feet had it scurry across the wall and away from him whenever he moved.</p><p>It travelled alongside the group for a while before it disappeared further upwards. Yeosang hoped for it to find back to its home and lizard family and that it didn't have to suffer hunger.</p><p>Their hike commenced in relative silence. Harsh breaths and the occasional grumble about the cold was all that accompanied them. Their group wasn't particularly sociable, and even Mingi who often tried too hard to keep a conversation going seemed weighed down by worries today.</p><p>They had climbed for hours with occasional breaks in between to re-energise their weary bodies. By now, their water resources were getting sparse since they couldn't pack too much so they wouldn't get weighed down. They had left their third break of the day not too long ago when the one thing they all dreaded happened.</p><p>Misfortune came upon them like a fog that settled over a peaceful city in the morning hours when even the cock had yet to rise. It came sneakily and without any of them knowing. By the time it was noticed, everybody had already walked amongst it and had it clinging to them like a curse.</p><p>The sudden scratch and scarfing sound on the wall behind Yeosang echoed through the gorge like a particularly nasty wake-up call. It had Yeosang whip around to search for the source of the loud disruption immediately.</p><p>Metal slid over stone with a jarring shriek. Then, for the first time, a little helpless noise escaped the person.</p><p>Cold dread washed over Yeosang when he turned to see Mingi safely over the wall. His widened eyes were focused on Jongho.</p><p>Before Yeosang had the time to turn and get hold of the current happenings, Jongho abruptly dropped from his position.</p><p>A warning yell slipped over Yeosang’s lips, and he twisted his body when his instincts told him to reach out for his friend. Before he could get to the westsider; however, a hand wrapped around his wrist and roughly pushed it back against the stone wall. Scrambling, Yeosang held back on but still twisted his head back in a panic.</p><p>Jongho tumbled down from the wall at an alarming speed. His arms and legs flailed uselessly as he searched for hold and they collied with the stone wall cruelly. Phantom pain flared in Yeosang’s leg at a particularly gruesome drag over the jagged stones.</p><p>The shock had Yeosang’s heart freeze in his chest as if encased by the coldest ice. His mind, on the contrary, didn’t stop screaming at him. It urged him to move, to call out, to do anything, but he was rendered useless. Nobody in the world could stop Jongho’s fall, not even San who scrambled after him, albeit far slower.</p><p>The only person able to rescue him was Jongho himself. And by the time the westsider seemed to catch up with that fact, Yeosang’s jaws hurt from how hard he ground his teeth. His fingers dug into the stone painfully.</p><p>Then, at once, Jongho reacted. Without further ado or any sense of direction in his fall straight into the dark depths, he activated his arm that carried the grappling hook. With a hiss, it fired.</p><p>The hard hook didn’t move to any wall near him, instead flying rather diagonally beneath the group members’ feet. It met the wall several meters away from him but at least further up instead of beneath. Hungrily, it dug into the wall, and the steel rope pulled taut.</p><p>The drop was horrible to watch. Jongho’s full weight stopped mid-air with a violent jerk that travelled from the rope right into his one shoulder. A hoarse yell of pain escaped him when his arm twisted into a weird angle. It had tears spring into Yeosang’s eyes at the sheer terror that seized him at the situation. Roughly, Jongho connected with the wall below Mingi.</p><p>Then, everything stopped.</p><p>Jongho dangled from his rope beneath them, his arm strained and body limp. He barely had the strength to lift his head, even when San called out for him. With a frozen expression, Yeosang stared down at him as he hung a few dozen metres below them like a slap of meat on a hook. Gone was all the security and safety that Jongho usually carried.</p><p>“Yeosang… Keep your daddles on the wall.”</p><p>Mingi's strained voice sounded rough in his throat as if his human body restricted it from escaping. Without looking at him, Yeosang leaned more towards the cool rock. He nearly lost sight of the other two. With a bit of a strain, he could watch how San utilised his long legs to cross from one canyon wall to the other. While Mingi began his descend, too, Yeosang stayed rooted on the spot. He was too afraid to move even if they had needed him. The tremors of his arms and hands were bad enough that he would have fallen right down, too, if he even lifted a finger at this moment.</p><p>In the distance, San finally reached Jongho and pulled him in carefully. Similar to when Yeosang had slipped once, he urged Jongho to ram his feet into the wall and did the same next to him. Then, he checked on his condition while Mingi began to pry the hook from the wall. His eyes were mostly on the worrisome pair, too.</p><p>“Need a hand?”</p><p>San quickly shook his head as he reached for Jongho’s arm. It hung in an odd angle from his body, even when the hook released. While San worked the machines to roll it back up on its coil, Jongho hissed lowly in pain. Yeosang frowned.</p><p>“He probably broke his shoulder, but I can try to fix it. Set up a hammock for him to rest, and we will aid him in climbing from now on.” Even San sounded worried, but Mingi scrambled to oblige. Again, Yeosang felt entirely useless as everybody around him worked. His mind stayed blank for a few more minutes until urgency crashed down on him.</p><p>Hastily, he glanced at where San still pondered how to help Jongho.</p><p>“Wait! I learned about medicine; I can try to help!”</p><p>San eyed him while Jongho just rested weakly against his torso. Then, he gave a slow nod.</p><p>“Please be careful when you come down.”</p><p>With an eager agreement, Yeosang moved. He took extra care not to overtask his body and move especially slowly. San even gave him a hand when he crossed the canyon and rushed over the walls to Jongho’s other side. From up close, the laboured breaths that Jongho exhaled against San’s shoulder sounded pitiful and yanked on Yeosang’s heart painfully. Hesitation spread in him when he reached out to touch the other man.</p><p>By the looks of the hanging shoulder, it wasn’t broken as San had expected. Yeosang assumed it to be dislocated only, which was a relief. Still, Jongho would be in pain and greatly impaired.</p><p>“Jongho…” he began gently “I need to stretch out your arm and feel over it. Will you be okay with that?”</p><p>From this angle, Yeosang saw the shift in the man’s jaw when he gritted his teeth. Then he breathed out a faint ‘do it.’</p><p>With as much patience and care that Yeosang’s own nervous self could muster, he laid his palm on the other man’s body. The gadgets were in the way, but he could feel around a bit with nimble fingers. His fingers brushed a piece of bone that he normally shouldn’t be able to feel and Jongho’s body tensed.</p><p>Sure that it was dislocated, Yeosang moved further back from Jongho. He needed to stretch the bones out whether they were broken or not, and the heavy gadgets made for a perfect splint.</p><p>With Jongho’s limb and twitching fingers in his, Yeosang carefully moved until the arm was stretched out at a square angle. The blades of his feet sunk into the wall as he balanced his stance. Then, he pulled.</p><p>An agonised moan tumbled over Jongho’s lips before he buried his head against San once more. Yeosang apologised for causing him pain in his mind as he tugged harder with a slow increase of pressure. Despite having studied the theory of this, he had never practised relocation himself.</p><p>The dread that he could fail at his task and hurt Jongho even worse gnawed on his mind.</p><p>“San, please… at the same angle, pull him towards you.”</p><p>Sweat collected on the clammy skin of Yeosang’s forehead. He shivered from the cold more than before as fear took him over.</p><p>Then, when he pulled some more, and San resisted the movement, a snap travelled through Jongho’s body. The unexpected change had him curse loudly, but he disguised his pain well. Immediately, Yeosang stopped to pull and gently patted the man’s gloved fingers.</p><p>“Are you alright? Can you feel your fingers?”</p><p>Jongho weakly curled and uncurled the digits.</p><p>“They are numb and feel as if they fell asleep… But the pain certainly got better.” He pressed the words out with relief. Yeosang squeezed his hand comfortingly with the same alleviation that filled him. Jongho’s fingers weakly copied the pressure.</p><p>Yeosang and San glanced at each other over Jongho’s back. The pink-haired man’s eyes showed respect and thankful appreciation.</p><p>“Let’s get him into the hammock and try and cool it. Once we all calmed down, we can continue.”</p><p>With Mingi’s help, they did exactly that. Their tall friend never ceased the never-ending flow of worried questions and random talks he dumped onto Jongho while he rested. San reminded him to keep it down, but the little curl around Jongho’s lips told Yeosang that he didn’t mind at all. For now, all was fine.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The World Starts to Crumble</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How are you?”</p><p>Yeosang hesitated to raise the cloth in his hand to Jongho’s forehead. It was damp with some precious leftovers of their water. Jongho had protested using it for his clammy skin, but San had gravely stated that he would rather climb down to the stream beneath them and get fresh water than have Jongho be uncomfortable. Jongho had conceded at that.</p><p>At the man’s nod, Yeosang reached out to pat his sweaty face down. Jongho’s lids fluttered shut at the gentle touch, and he relaxed into Yeosang’s gentle ministrations. The librarian was glad that Jongho had eased into his care so quickly. As the one with the most medical knowledge out of all of them, Yeosang had been tasked with Jongho’s recovery. While they climbed, Mingi helped him get across difficult obstacles that his hurt arm created for the most part. Yeosang’s lacking skill and his clumsiness weren’t needed in that regard.</p><p>Also, Yeosang was still arguably terrified of Jongho’s presence near him. Whenever Yeosang sunk into the arms of his kind lover, his mind was distracted with Jongho’s presence nearby him and the burning glances he sometimes sent them. While they were seemingly light and non-caring, Yeosang felt entirely exposed from them. Jongho never objected their relationship, but Yeosang felt as if he did. He suspected that he should address it, but shyness restricted his plans. What if he read too much into it? The audacity to think that Jongho even remotely cared about something as trivial as Yeosang’s relationship with San when he was so detached and composed by himself kept him from quick conclusions.</p><p>“I will get better soon. No worries, despite all the climbing I’m doing my best to rest it.”</p><p>They had fixed Jongho’s shoulder with another cloth underneath his gadget sleeve to make sure the joint would be under as little pressure as possible. It greatly inconvenienced Jongho’s range of movements and had them all on edge with the risk his handicapped climbing posed. However, it was the most they could do.</p><p>Yeosang warily eyed the bandage. The shoulder underneath - a strong and naturally tanned shoulder that Yeosang had found firm to the touch - was discoloured in blues and purple shadows that marred his flesh. Mingi had joked about it being the most sky he had seen in weeks. The rest of them had merely chuckled weakly.</p><p>“Good. Maybe we should do as San suggestionised and leave you here, though. If we can find this hermit person first, then we could bring him back to you and Mingi, and his help would do more than if you keep climbing.”</p><p>Jongho chuckled. His dark lashes fanned over his rounded cheeks before he rose his eyes to Yeosang. The westsider leaned halfway into the other man’s lap, and Yeosang still idly patted over his forehead. He tried to dodge Jongho’s curious gaze by shifting his full attention on the little baby hairs on his hairline, but they were too close that Jongho didn’t notice. His inquisitive eyes on Yeosang’s features had the man blush.</p><p>“Why wouldn’t you stay here with me? You are the doc, after all.”</p><p>Yeosang shyly rubbed his neck. His hair begun to overgrow since no palace hairdresser took care of it regularly. By now, it was long enough in his nape that it nearly tickled his shoulders. Usually, he wore it in a little ponytail.</p><p>“I’m not a doc… I barely know anything about injuries and how to treat them.”</p><p>“Wrong, you helped me a lot. Without you, we would have assumed it broke and never put it back into place correctly. I would be in so much more pain right now.” His big and honest eyes had Yeosang forgive him all the embarrassment that overcame him at Jongho’s words. In his low voice, the honeyed tone was like a harmonious melody in Yeosang’s heart that had him calm and feel at ease. He considered it as if he had come home after a long time, despite his home being far from there.</p><p>Jongho was the most difficult fifteen puzzle Yeosang had ever come across. One day the man glared at him, the next he was all sweet and warm as he rested in Yeosang’s lap. His mind spun from all the possibilities he came up with why that might be.</p><p>He knew that this was the best moment to ask. San and Mingi were off to explore and try to find a trail how much further it might be that the hermit lived away from them. While they never went too far, they were well out of earshot by now, and just two dots in the dimly lit distance.</p><p>But as usual, Yeosang shied away from it. He didn’t want to disrupt their peaceful moment, and he didn’t want to pry into Jongho’s business. After all, the man always had a lot to glare about. Maybe it wasn’t even related to Yeosang. After all, it was also obvious that Jongho disliked San, so that might be all that Yeosang mistook for more.</p><p>“Well… I’m glad that I could at least do that. I often feel as if all of you others do far more than I,” Yeosang muttered underneath his breath as he put the cloth away. He checked on the bandages around Jongho’s shoulder while the other man never stopped staring at him. It was as if he wanted to memorise Yeosang’s features, just like Yeosang sometimes did when he drew people. From this close vicinity and as intense as he did it, it had Yeosang squirm. If he thought about Jongho looking at him for too long, he wanted to move away, scared that the other man would deem him ugly and view him with disgust.</p><p>That was also the one thing he awaited to happen with San. San was far out of Yeosang’s league, far too gorgeous and exotic for a nobody like him. They were no match, and while his attention made Yeosang feel like the prince he was supposed to be, whenever his mind wasn’t busy with worries and anxiety, he questioned it.</p><p>By now, he questioned everything.</p><p>“We don’t. We’re all in this together, and we decided to come this far by your side. We will see it through, so don’t you worry about it. Nobody gets left behind.”</p><p>Yeosang nodded, soothed by his words. Jongho knew exactly what to say to calm him most of the times. While Yeosang appreciated it a lot, he also hoped that to stay the same for a long while afterwards. Since he had nowhere to go apart from where Seonghwa was, Yeosang’s little heart yearned to stay near his friends; near Jongho and Mingi. He knew that with them, he would feel safe.</p><p>“Jongho, may I ask you something?”</p><p>Without a second of hesitation, Jongho nodded. The speed of the approval made Yeosang giggle. As he shifted his weight in the hammock, Jongho followed the movement until they could rest together comfortably. In a moment of being lost in his thoughts, Yeosang carded his fingers through Jongho’s hair. The strands were soft underneath his fingers and slid through them spun silk.</p><p>“It’s about your brother, tell me if I overstep any boundaries. But I was… Wondering. What happened to him?”</p><p>With a sigh, Jongho began to unpack the story. He told Yeosang about their happy life together as a family of four back in Zey. Their situation had been anything but perfect, but at least everybody had found their fulfilment and joy within each other. Then, the palace people had come and taken Yunho from them. Jongho had fallen into bitter cynicism and distrust in anything but himself, while his parents grieved about their precious son. It had taken his mother from him, and recently, as Yeosang only learnt now, also his father.</p><p>Jongho’s story was laced with hatred and sadness so deep and raw that Yeosang’s heart ached. In the middle of it all, he had noticed his soothing touches to the other man’s hair, but even after a long moment of hesitation, he had continued in his ministrations. Even if Jongho didn’t look the part, he seemed to enjoy the gentle caresses to his scalp.</p><p>After he had ended, Yeosang felt numb. He was stricken with guilt for every assumption he had made about Zey and how they lived, and with every word in particular that he directed against Jongho.</p><p>Yes, Yeosang feared his father, and they had never had a good relationship. But who was he to complain when Jongho’s pain ran so much deeper?</p><p>They had spent a few minutes in silence after Jongho concluded his story. He wasn’t any sadder or angrier than before, but he had sunken into a state of melancholy and sombre smiles. They all hurt Yeosang in any possible way. Jongho’s smile was beautiful, and Yeosang wanted to curse the world for not gifting him a reason to show it more often.</p><p>He was just about to come up with some joke that Mingi would say in this situation to resolve it when the shrill call of a bird startled both of them from their trance. As they shifted, they seemed to notice for the first time how naturally their bodies had interwoven and how comfortably they laid in the hammock.</p><p>Yeosang cleared his throat and sat up after nearly having sunken into Jongho’s arms with his whole body.</p><p>Bricky fluttered above them with the sweet lullaby melody he played echoing from him. When Yeosang held out his hand and called for his little friend, the intricate clockwork machines in his body whirred to life when he came over. Brass claws wrapped around Yeosang’s outstretched finger when the bird settled down comfortably.</p><p>When Yeosang shifted to seek the warmth his body had left behind next to Jongho, he automatically slumped further towards the man since the hammock pressed them together. As if Jongho had to make sure he was stabilised, he reached out to wrap an arm around Yeosang’s legs. It settled around his upper thighs, but the westsider barely minded as he glanced at Bricky. More aware of the touch, Yeosang timidly cleared his throat.</p><p>He unbound the message from Bricky’s foot and let the bird hop on his shoulder. Only then, he unrolled the little piece of paper from its confinement. Wooyoung’s handwriting contrasted in black ink from the paper.</p><p>“It’s from Wooyoung.” Yeosang declared as if they hadn’t waited for news from him. Then, he rose his voice slightly to read it to Jongho first before he could show it to the last of their two members later.</p><p>
  <em>“Dear Yeosang</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m writing with urgency. Many new things are going on here, and they follow in such quick recession that I fear I might forget half of what I wanted to write as I finish this letter.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>More trouble has overcome the palace. Ever since Prince Seonghwa’s passing, the system tightened. Trade with Asora has gotten sparse ever since, and up until now, we have no idea why. While our allies are stricken with grief over the prince’s untimely death, they certainly promised us their support above anything. However, the more we seem to yearn for said help, the more it gets restricted. All I see are Bishops and soldiers. Either our allies disapprove of the current war plans, or something else is brewing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I heard rumours. Rumours from Zey that talk about the local gangs. I fear that they might seize the chance and try to take over Asora while the king wages war. He seems ready to take the risk, though. I worry a lot, Yeosang. I feel as if he overlooks too much. This battle might be his last. If the Bishops aren’t as mighty as we think, then nobody will be able to stop Asora from falling. It seems as if with Seonghwa gone, our allies also see no future anymore.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I fear about Asorazey. Nobody knows what the future might bring to both of our cities.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Please stay safe and take good care.<br/></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your Friend<br/>Wooyoung”</em>
</p><p>Yeosang ended his speech with a frown etched deeply into his forehead. The messages from the palace increased in panic and distress that weighed Yeosang’s heart down. From how desperate Wooyoung sounded, Yeosang wished to know him safe now rather than risk another letter exchange. By the next letter, Wooyoung might already be in trouble.</p><p>Jongho agreed on that sentiment.</p><p>“You should contact Seonghwa about this. It seems as if the empire crumbles, so he should know about it.”</p><p>Yeosang whipped out more paper to write to Wooyoung and Seonghwa. His writing was hectic and wobbly from his nervousness. Jongho kept silent until he finished with it all.</p><p>“What do you think? Will we return to the palace once we retrieved the item?” Yeosang sent Bricky off and watched him flutter away further down the canyon. Jongho followed his line of sight with his own gaze.</p><p>“Maybe. Right now, it sounds as if everybody should have an eye on the palace anyway.”</p><p>They needed to hurry more. The unknown spectacles up on the surface stayed hidden from their eyes, and Yeosang feared to return to a city of ashes. The king needed Seonghwa to stabilise, and Seonghwa could only return with his precious item. It was on them to save what could still be saved.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. The Hermit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jongho was hurt, visibly so, but no inch of his body was ready to give in. With Mingi by his side, he climbed along the wall with his jaw tight, and his face settled into an ongoing frown. Sometimes, little grunts of pain escaped him anyway when he had to put weight on his injured shoulder, but he didn’t let himself get pitied. Same as always, he forced through, and Yeosang once more admired him for his strength and durability. Even San was impressed with their friend from Zey, especially since he had never seen the upper part of the two cities. San had no idea how rough Zey could be and why Jongho’s resolve was as steely as it was, but he respected him for it.</p><p>With the tension between the two of them dropping more and more, Yeosang was also at ease. He felt less as if caught between two beasts that snapped their teeth at each other with every diplomatic conversation they had.</p><p>That, and today, in particular, his body thrummed with energy. In the morning, San and Mingi had gone out to scout once more, and they had finally found the point they had been searching for. A little hut nestled between the narrow walls of the canyon. By now, the gorge had thinned to the point that they could barely climb back to back with each other since their backpacks tended to knock into each other. So they scaled one wall, San going first, Yeosang next and with Mingi and Jongho at the end.</p><p>And finally, their goal was in sight. The hermit’s hut, as expected, had been challenging to find, but it promised sanctuary.</p><p>Yeosang couldn’t see much of the tall building in the darkness and with San in front of him. Rather than spreading out as Qam did, this home grew in height to accustom to the steep walls. The rooms inside must be tiny, but they stretched out over several stories since there was no other way to save space.</p><p>Unsurprisingly, their group also got noticed before they even arrived at the tiny step in front of the narrow door. With the solitude that the canyon offered this far in, the house owner greeted their noisy lot even earlier. Yeosang missed the moment when he appeared in the doorstep, but his voice travelled over the scratching noises of their climbing and their laboured breaths anyway.</p><p>“What brings you to a place this far from home?”</p><p>His deep voice oddly fit the canyon and its distant rushing of water. It seemed to hold the same depth and the same eerie stillness that hid so much more.</p><p>“I am afraid we come bearing trouble. May we enter?”</p><p>Yeosang didn’t dare peek around San to catch a glimpse of the man. He was too busy clinging onto the cold rock in front of him that numbed his fingers.</p><p>“I’d like to dodge trouble, but since you came this far, I won’t leave you outside. My door is open for you to transgress.”</p><p>San muttered a relieved ‘thanks’ under his breath. Yeosang wanted to reach out and hug him to spend some comfort, but it was not the time. They all liked to forget how much of a burden they were to San, and how he played the most considerable part in this expedition. His confidence could be scary sometimes, but Yeosang was no fool. The whole trip gnawed on San’s sanity just the same.</p><p>So for now, they made sure to finish their long journey over steep terrain. Once San had safely reached the hermit’s home threshold, he put his backpack down to reach out for Yeosang. Similar to what Jongho once did, he collected Yeosang off the rock as if he weighed nothing to him. All too happily, Yeosang sunk into his arms.</p><p>For a moment, they remained pressed together with Yeosang’s heart nervously beating in his chest from how close they were. Then, the relief of having arrived flooded him.</p><p>San gently petted his hair.</p><p>“You did well, Yeosang. Here, let me help Jongho.”</p><p>With a nod, Yeosang stepped aside. They had to shuffle further back in the narrow room to make space for the others. As they did, the librarian got a first look at the hermit who promised the answers to many of their questions.</p><p>Next to Yeosang stood a tall man, but not as tall as Mingi, Yeosang supposed. Despite the abyss he lived in, his skin was naturally tan and contrasted with his dark hair. It hung into his eyes shaggily and badly cut, but he looked young still. Younger than Yeosang had expected. The hermit was no old man with too much bitterness to share himself with the people of Qam. Furthermore, he seemed like a rather healthy man, and not unlike Jongho. They carried a similar air that Yeosang believed to recognise as being from Zey. He was different from San.</p><p>Their eyes met fleetingly when the hermit helped Yeosang remove the backpacks and put them further in the back so San could get Jongho in. Stiff, they nodded at each other.</p><p>The man’s looks were young, but his eyes were old. They had seen a lot in his life, and Yeosang didn’t doubt that not all those sights had been enjoyable.</p><p>“How many of you are there?”</p><p>“Four.”</p><p>With a nod, the hermit pointed Yeosang up the stairs. He hurried to carry his and San’s things up. The hermit followed halfway, but remained on the steep and worn stairs to overlook the entrance beneath. Meanwhile, Yeosang spread out in what he assumed to be a living room. A tiny table with just once chair and a cooking place joined here at once. There was barely any place to sit, but he found a little space to pile their things in. He was careful so he wouldn’t knock a few nocturnal plants and jars from the shelves around him.</p><p>Generally, the home was dark. Even though dimly lit so the hermit could see, it was made of dark wood and had little indications about its owner. It was like a bear’s cave. It had a few things the bear needed around, but nothing of particular value or importance.</p><p>Yeosang awkwardly stood to the side. His ears picked up on a pained groan from Jongho, then of the door falling shut. Only then, feet shuffled up the stairs. The dark hair of the hermit appeared first, then San’s bright head. Jongho followed, and he was pointed to sit on the chair immediately. With a quiet exhale, he dropped onto it.</p><p>“Sit down, make space if you have to. I’m curious to hear your story.”</p><p>Yeosang found a place squeezed next to Mingi on the stairs leading up. San stayed on the upper edge next to the winding stairwell downward. The hermit leaned against the wall near Jongho.</p><p>“First of all, thank you for letting us in. After all we've heard, we expected dismissal.”</p><p>The hermit chuckled at San darkly and without real joy behind his expression. His intelligent eyes kept swiping over their group as if he searched for something.</p><p>“You’re the kid from Qam, aren’t you? I remember the mayor of Blagbarrow complaining about you.”</p><p>San rolled his eyes, but his lips curled amusedly.</p><p>“Damn old geezer. He has nothing to complain about. But yes, my name is San. These are my friends from beyond the canyon.” San gestured to the lot of them. Mingi and Yeosang smiled brightly if worn. Jongho silently glared through his fringe.</p><p>“People from Asorazey don’t normally come here. What could have urged you to seek out my humble home?”</p><p>“This friend right here.” San pointed vaguely at Yeosang. The gesture was odd enough that it might as well have suggested Mingi. Unsure, Yeosang didn’t give himself away.</p><p>“You might have heard about the death of crown prince Seonghwa.”</p><p>“Is this the dead crown prince?” The hermit’s eyes burned on Yeosang’s as if he knew exactly who he was.</p><p>“No. But he has been tasked by the said prince to search for something. Something, that is supposed to be lost in the canyon. Asora is waging war, and this item is essential to keep said war from happening. We do not know what it is that we seek. But we are willing to aid the prince’s wishes.”</p><p>The hermit hummed pensively. Finally, his eyes left Yeosang’s. As if a shackle had been taken off him, Yeosang breathed in deeply. Those eyes knew what to search for. No doubt, if anybody had noticed a particular item in the depths of this canyon, it must be him.</p><p>“Can you vouch for the prince’s will? Does he yearn for glory or for peace?”</p><p>This time, it was Yeosang who answered. Anything else would be wrong. He was Seonghwa’s brother; he had dragged his friends out here. And he was the one who knew what Seonghwa had been planning for so long.</p><p>“We seek peace. We want to restore Asorazey back to its old glory and stop the king’s hasty advances. Seonghwa’s goal is to unify the people after two hundred years apart.”</p><p>The hermit looked at him for a long while. No indication of what was going on behind his forehead crossed his features.</p><p>“Yet you have no idea what it is you seek. If it were as easy as that, don’t you think that somebody would have tried before? The prince seems to dream big,” he murmured without real malice behind his words. Yeosang lowered his eyes.</p><p>“It’s not as if we have any other bet. We have no army to fight, and neither do we want that. We want this item that is supposed to end the war.”</p><p>Yeosang composedly rested his shoulder against Mingi’s. The tall man’s presence nearby him considerably calmed his nervous heart. He feared rejection from the hermit, and he feared that their mission might fail. He had yet to prove that it hadn’t been his father who had turned against Seonghwa, and he barely had any arguments.</p><p>“I will take you to it, then. And once you find it, once you know its true meaning, we will know what you think. From then on, your intentions will be out in the open for me to see. Only then I will tell you what I think of that plan.”</p><p>As rough as his words were, they were more than the group had expected. The hermit gave them an opportunity at least, and he didn’t make a judgement yet. They could still gain his trust.</p><p>“What is your name if I may ask?”</p><p>San’s voice had gotten even gentler, and when Yeosang glanced at him, his features were soft. He felt with Yeosang.</p><p>“Yongguk. But it is no name you need to remember.”</p><p>San nodded easily before he looked around the room. Jongho had sunken against the backrest of his chair. His eyes were just open to suspiciously regard his surroundings, but his head had heavily dropped against the wood. Yeosang’s eyes burned with the need to rest, and Mingi’s weight against him desperately held both of them up.</p><p>“May we find a corner to sleep here? We can do with anything you offer.”</p><p>Yongguk nodded kindly. Then he jerked his chin towards the ceiling.</p><p>“I will sleep upstairs. Two of you may reorganise this room to find a spot, and two can sleep in the corridor downstairs. Tell me if you need anything.” With that, he sidestepped the lot of them to disappear upstairs. The others glanced at each other searchingly.</p><p>“Mingi, join me downstairs. We will guard the door if anything were to happen. Yeosang, I trust you can take good care of Jongho,” San decided swiftly. At Yeosang’s eager nod, all of them dispersed. Mingi and San’s conversation travelled downstairs and made for a soothing white noise while Yeosang rearranged the room. He took two of their blankets to spread out one on the floor to lay on, the other one to protect themselves against the rather chilly temperatures. Once he was done, he helped Jongho out of his gadgets for the first time in a long while. Jongho felt safe enough here without them, and since they mostly bothered him in his sleep anyway, he was glad to get them off.</p><p>Yeosang checked on his shoulder once more before they went to sleep. It hadn’t gotten any worse, just as Jongho had promised, but it also had yet to heal. Ultimately, they could only wait and hope to spend enough time in Yongguk’s home until it was good to go.</p><p>When they finally laid down, Yeosang placed his body near Jongho to share their blanket and some warmth. He fell asleep before his head had hit the ground.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Morning Dew</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The morning came with Yeosang awakening to the quiet chatter of Jongho and Mingi at the table. Jongho had foregone his gadgets and he seemed incredibly tinier and more approachable in every regard. Without the hissing heaps of metal strapped to him, his human aspects shone all the softer. There was no way to spread the sleepy grin on Yeosang's lips.</p><p>Mingi’s hair was a bird’s nest atop his head that he had yet to take care of. He leaned against the kitchen aisle while Jongho rested on the chair and peacefully listened to his rambling. Jongho had spread his thighs casually and supported his injured arm on one of them. By the looks of it, he wasn’t in too much pain today. Yeosang hoped he got a good night’s sleep. After he had slumbered away last night, anything going on had completely passed by him, he had been that tired.</p><p>When he rose, both men interrupted their conversation to greet Yeosang cheerfully. Bricky sat on the table between them. At his friendly chirp, relief that he hadn’t lost his way flooded Yeosang.</p><p>“Good morning. Had a good rest?”</p><p>When Yeosang just replied with a yawn, Mingi giggled. Shy, Yeosang covered his mouth immediately after as he looked around for the other two.</p><p>“San is downstairs. He didn’t want to crowd in here while we wait for Yongguk,” Jongho supplied without him having to ask. Yeosang hummed in agreement.</p><p>He carded his hands through his hair in a weak attempt to fix it. Then, he also patted his clothes down before he stood up. Jongho must have tucked him in after he had left their little nest since the blanket wrapped snugly around him and preserved all the warmth. After a short minute of thinking, Yeosang took it with him. It still carried his heat and snuggled into it; he stood in the middle of the room. Lost, he peered around. Jongho and Mingi blinked back at him.</p><p>“I will join San, then, so he isn’t lonely either. Tell me if you gentlemen need us.” Groggily, Yeosang shuffled over to the stairs. He nearly missed the first step when his hand covered by the blanket slipped off the handrail. Behind him, Mingi giggled.</p><p>“Be careful,” Jongho grumbled under his breath. Yeosang threw him a sheepish smile before he finally descended safely.</p><p>Downstairs in the corridor, San sat cross-legged on the floor and stared at the door leading outside. Lost in thought, he didn’t even notice Yeosang at first until he appeared as a pillar of dark blankets next to him. Only then, he turned his head to throw Yeosang a brilliant smile. His dimples and hair looked extra soft in the morning, and some of the ongoing tiredness in his features had lifted. Satisfied, Yeosang dropped onto the floor next to him.</p><p>It took him a while to figure out where the opening to his blanket was, but once his hand snaked outside of the protective layer, he rose it to San’s face. The man offered his cheek with a smile as Yeosang poked his dimple.</p><p>“Good morning.”</p><p>San also rose his hand to tap the tip of Yeosang’s nose. Giggling, the librarian shied away from his ticklish fingers.</p><p>“Hey, you.”</p><p>Yeosang comradely opened one corner of his blanket. Without much hesitation, San joined him in his cosy cocoon. His natural scent of human wrapped around Yeosang like the comforting reminder that he wasn’t alone in his mission.</p><p>“Did Yongguk awake yet?”</p><p>Yeosang rested his head on San’s broad shoulder and snuggled up against his warmth while San sorted the blankets around the two of them. With them next to each other, it was barely enough blanket to shut completely.</p><p>“No, I came because I wanted to grace you with my company. I hope you’re not too disappointed.”</p><p>With a chuckle, San angled his head to press an affectionate kiss on Yeosang’s lips. The minor gesture had Yeosang shyly hide his face in the other man’s shirt.</p><p>“How could I? I would be a fool to protest a beautiful man falling right into my lap in the early morning hours.”</p><p>Flattered, Yeosang pushed a strand of his hair behind his ear. He didn’t get called pretty too often, especially not by men as gorgeous as San himself. While he felt like an ugly duckling next to a god, he still appreciated the attention.</p><p>“I’m not in your lap, though. So that might be a thing to be disappointed about.”</p><p>San’s laughter filled the room. It was ripe like fresh fruit and tasted just as sweet as the mangoes from the far south on the other side of the ocean. It filled Yeosang’s heart with gleeful anticipation. He felt mighty, getting the man to laugh for him.</p><p>“Not at all. I enjoy your presence just the same, on my lap or next to me. Of course, you are always welcome there, though.”</p><p>With a little nudge of his chin, San urged Yeosang to look at him. Hesitant, Yeosang did as the man asked him to. His lashes fluttered immediately when he met San’s sharp eyes, not able to bear their weight. He looked at his lap instead.</p><p>San waited for him, not coercing him into anything. When Yeosang’s nervous heart finally made its decision and he sunk into the man, San was ready to catch him.</p><p>Their lips met in another touch, this time a lingering one. The sleepiness that still clung to both of them hinted at a homey intimacy that Yeosang welcomed eagerly. When San’s gentle fingers cradled his jaw to pull him in, Yeosang’s heart jumped at the care he was handled with. San’s mouth was tender on his, and the delicate press of his lips never stopped igniting excitement in Yeosang’s belly. When San kissed, he did so with all his devotion. He kissed as if nothing else on the world mattered apart from that one touch.</p><p>And as much as Yeosang’s head irked him to wonder what Jongho’s kisses would be like, when he was with San, he was distracted.</p><p>It took Yeosang a few minutes of them losing themselves in the feeling of each other until he mustered up some confidence. He shifted without ever disconnecting his face from San’s. When he rose his thigh in a questioning faint brush against San’s leg, the man promptly understood. His hand travelled underneath the blanket, making it slip in the process, to hold onto Yeosang.</p><p>Everything inside of Yeosang swooped dangerously at the tame grip of San’s hand on his thigh. When he was pulled over into the man’s lap, San craned his head back to kiss him deeper, and Yeosang’s dark fringe fanned over his brows. He shuddered in San’s grip when the man reached for his waist to firmly press the two of them together. Their chests aligned when San gently pried Yeosang’s mouth open with his tongue to offer him a game so saccharine that Yeosang would now be the fool to refuse.</p><p>Sitting on top of San made Yeosang feel like a prince. Mighty and noble, he throned on San as if he was his source of power.</p><p>At the same time, Yeosang exposed himself entirely to him. San’s wandering hands brushed over his sides and his ribcage. They slid over his chest, his shoulders, and down to his thighs that his fingers idly trailed over. Every single one of his touches had Yeosang tense with anticipation and nervousness. A tension that San kissed right off him again, but it kept happening anyway.</p><p>Yeosang was also far too shy to touch San. He feared making a mistake or doing something weird that San disliked. San had never given him the incentive that Yeosang troubled him in any way, but yet Yeosang’s hands rested on the other man’s back balled to useless fists.</p><p>Yeosang’s attempts to relax by putting his whole concentration on their kisses continuously got thrown overboard whenever San touched him. One second, he fell into the warmth and seductive promises that the man’s mouth and tongue offered, the next, he flinched away because San slipped his hands underneath his shirt. Yeosang didn’t know how to sort himself out, and he nearly panicked at his attempts.</p><p>It happened for another time, San’s fingertips just slipping underneath the waistband of Yeosang’s pants for the barest bit to brush his hipbones when Yeosang nearly jumped off his lap from sensitivity. Only then, San pulled back. Yeosang barely dared to open his eyes, and when he finally did, he hyper-focused on San’s pretty lips that looked as swollen as Yeosang’s felt.</p><p>“Yeosang… Am I moving too fast? Do you want me to stop?”</p><p>Albeit knowing that it had been his idea to come here and climb atop San, Yeosang felt compelled to agree. He didn’t want to disappoint the other man, not when he so sweetly waited for him. Yeosang was excited and so fired up at the prospect of sharing this experience with San, but the other man caused him to be all over the place. If anything, Yeosang stayed too cramped and nervous about doing this right now.</p><p>For a moment more, he pondered his answer. Then, he gave a weak nod. Guilt burned in his throat as if he had swallowed poison. He wasn’t ready to meet San’s eyes that were no doubt disappointed and frustrated with him.</p><p>Yeosang was no stranger to intimacy. Or rather, his mind wasn’t. He knew what he liked and disliked, and he knew how things worked from the countless novels he had read. Another man’s touch on his body, however, that was the new aspect.</p><p>“Alright, come here.” This time, San pulled him into a chaste hug. It involved no wandering hands, no heated kisses. It was just them sharing a soothing hug. Yet, Yeosang’s heart beat wildly in his chest. Suddenly, he was too aware again of how different San’s hug felt from Jongho’s. Both were warm, both treated Yeosang with the utmost care he didn’t see himself deserving of. However, they couldn’t be more different.</p><p>“I’m sorry, San. I don’t know what’s wrong. It’s not you, I swear.”</p><p>The words tasted stale in Yeosang’s mouth.</p><p>San brushed his fingers through Yeosang’s hair and shushed him gently.</p><p>“No, no. I don’t want you to feel obligated to put your own needs after mine. Please don’t do anything you aren’t ready for. I am not one to take whatever I want.”</p><p>Yeosang winced at the upset in San’s voice. He hadn’t meant to paint the man as advancing too fast. After all, San had reacted to Yeosang’s invitation, and he hadn’t even attempted anything that could be considered threatening. Once more, Yeosang rose disheartened eyes.</p><p>San frowned at him the barest bit, but it was mostly worry that marred his features. His lips had settled in an adorable pout.</p><p>With a feathery soft touch, Yeosang reached out to cup his chin. Gently, he kissed the pout away until San’s dimples were back on display.</p><p>They still sat wrapped around each other for a while until upstairs; voices got loud again. The hermit’s deep drawl mixed with the other two men’s voices. It was Yeosang’s signal to rise from San and get to his feet. Both of them stood inconspicuously as the other three came down the stairs. Yeosang just finished folding his blanket.</p><p>Yongguk barely regarded them. Jongho’s eyes lingered for a bit longer as if confused by their odd silence, but Yeosang successfully ducked away from his inquisitive stare.</p><p>“Let’s go, then. I will now take you to the thing you have come this far for. It’s not a long trip, maybe a mere ten minutes of climbing. If you want to retrieve the item, then I reckon you bring some sort of weapon.”</p><p>Yeosang gasped softly at the sudden hint of danger.</p><p>“It’s guarded?”</p><p>“No. But the canyon decided to make it its own in the past years. It’s not too difficult to take from it, but if that is your decision, then it will try to hinder you.”</p><p>With a nod, Jongho sprinted up again to get his gadgets. Yeosang had hoped he would stay behind and rest his shoulder, but as it seemed, there was no holding him back. Once he had strapped them all on with Mingi’s help and pointed out a few hammering and hacking tools he had stored within their mechanisms and on his belt, they were ready to go.</p><p>Led by Yongguk, they returned to the familiar walls. He would take them even deeper into the canyon, and this time, it was hopefully the last they had to go in this direction.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Fallen Star</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Just as Yongguk had promised, their goal wasn’t far. It barely took them ten minutes until the literal end of the canyon. The steep grey walls narrowed down until no human would fit in between anymore and soon united again far, far from Asora and Zey. The wandering group stood with their legs on either side of the wall comfortably and looked around while Yongguk explained the situation to them with no hurry.</p><p>“It’s up there on a little ledge. I’d suggestionise that two of you get it and the rest of us waits here.”</p><p>Without a word, San and Jongho had exchanged a glance before they set out. San’s agile body had no issues with scaling the walls smoothly, but he checked on the far slower Jongho multiple times. Ultimately, the pink-haired man voiced a sound of discovery and beckoned Jongho over.</p><p>Tense, Yeosang stared up at them. Now, after this long time, they had arrived here. They had found whatever Seonghwa had needed them to search and they would be able to use it for good. In the best-case scenario, Yeosang would also be able to prove his father’s innocence with it. Then, they just had to eliminate the person behind those foul strategies, and they would succeed. And from then on, they could work on the reunification of the two cities. Yeosang couldn’t wait to get it on with and now that the item was within an arm’s reach, he nearly died of curiosity of just what it might be.</p><p>“Careful here.”</p><p>San’s quiet voice still seemed tumultuous in the echoing canyon. While he helped Jongho up on the ledge, Yeosang exchanged a glance with Mingi. The red-haired man just gave him a quizzical stare. Neither of them had any idea about what their goal marked.</p><p>“Oh wow… It really got swallowed by the rocks. You were right!” Jongho called down to Yongguk. With his lips set into a thin line, the hermit nodded.</p><p>A few minutes of hammering and hacking away at the stone followed. Jongho did the work while San instructed him where to take care of edges. Since the weapons were attached to Jongho, there was no other way, but Yeosang still gnawed at his lips at the thought of him hurting his shoulder all over again. He would redress it countless times without complaint, but he didn't want to know Jongho in pain.</p><p>Apart from the two men’s work, tense silence enveloped the rest of them. Paired with the general coldness that seeped from the canyon walls, it had Yeosang shiver. He missed the sun and the sky; the constant darkness around him started to weigh on his mind heavily.</p><p>It took the two men working on their mysterious item a while, but they managed to retrieve the object from the stone that had no doubt grown over it after a while. Yeosang remembered Yongguk’s words with an uneasy tug in his stomach. There might have been a reason why the canyon hid the item away from the light of day. Perhaps, they all would be better off not knowing its secrets.</p><p>Once the two on top started their descent with the spherical object and vaguely as big as a playing ball tucked underneath San’s arm, Yongguk called for them to leave. The three would go ahead and make sure the conversation that would follow no doubt wouldn’t have to take place in some cold gorge corner. Still, even as he climbed behind Mingi, Yeosang couldn’t help but continuously glance over his shoulder to check on the item. It looked completely foreign to him. He couldn’t place it in any possible way. He had expected a weapon, or maybe just some document of sorts, but this thing could be anything.</p><p>Yeosang withstood his curiosity on their way back and until they had all filed into the living room. Just as yesterday, they spread out as much as possible. Yongguk’s face remained unreadable and dark; he fell quiet even quicker than before. Nobody knew what to say when Jongho sat the heavy metal item down on the table. Some dirt and tiny stones clung to it that crumbled off the surface just now.</p><p>With no sense at all, Yeosang stared at the dull item. Its brass surface had inscriptions etched into the body parts that weren’t interrupted by symmetrical black veins that seemed to wrap around the whole object like a gift. It had no openings or anything to attach it by. The item was entirely odd and useless.</p><p>“What is it?” Mingi was the first one to break the silence. San left it to Jongho to talk while scratching the dirt from the writings and letting his eyes run over them full of wonder.</p><p>When they all first glanced at Yongguk, he just shrugged. He seemed to know none the better than them, or he chose not to share his knowledge. When Jongho redirected their attention back to him by slapping the brass ball gently, Yeosang curiously looked him up and down.</p><p>"I know what this is. I've dealt with them before. This thing is a component of the IEI, the institute responsible for the whole city's energy flow when it was still united. It got destroyed during the earthquake. Hence a few pieces must have landed back here somehow."</p><p>Astounded, Yeosang scrutinised their latest treasure closer. Indeed, those veins looked similar to those on the newer nethicite machines, albeit ancient. He supposed that if this had been the tech 200 years ago, it made sense how it had developed. But just how would something that fell into the canyon because of an earthquake get this far back here? It had been placed too weirdly. As if it waited to be found again.</p><p>"How convenient, isn't it?"</p><p>Surprised, Yeosang glanced at Yongguk. He hadn’t expected the man to partake in their conference again. Now, however, he had risen his voice, and it carried the same bitterness as Jongho’s sometimes did. It was the hatred from Zey, grown from the sheer injustice the westsiders experienced every day. Before Yeosang could ask, Mingi replied to his sudden statement, though.</p><p>"What do you mean, convenient?"</p><p>"The whole city once had nethicite energies thanks to this core. Now, only Asora has."</p><p>So it was a core. A core that had generated the flow between both cities even. An essential item indeed, in the grand scheme of the whole institute. All of it got destroyed during the big shaking, after all. Yeosang doubted that Zey would be helped if they returned this item. The part about Asora had him falter, though. Was Yongguk claiming that Asora had taken over everything?</p><p>"Are you implying that Asora greedily took it all? If Zey could work with these energies, they would share, but they lack the funds! Or the possibility to recreate these energies for that matter!"</p><p>He hadn’t meant to get so loud, but slowly, the things started to piece together in Yeosang’s mind. Seonghwa must have known that the core was here, and by handing it back to Zey, he hoped for cooperation. The core promised economic development to Zey, and it would help get them out of their misery. And in the best case, it might even restrengthen the bonds between the two cities if it were to create a connection between both.</p><p>Yongguk wasn’t done yet, though. His shoulders were tense when he crossed his arms as if he had to keep himself stabilised. Finally, he spoke up. Contrary to Yeosang’s belief that he hid away back here to cut himself off the world, he knew more than he let on.</p><p>"Let me rephrase this before you get angry. The king, do you know what he looks like?"</p><p>That came out of the blue. Generally, it was relatively common that the population of Asorazey didn’t know. After all, the king was old and not at the best of health. His weakness rendered him immobile, and he usually sent out Seonghwa to be the face of their family. So far, it had worked. Clearly, Yeosang knew what his father looked like, but with that, he was the only one in the room, he had believed.</p><p>"Yeah, I do."</p><p>"Do the others know?"</p><p>They didn’t. And Yeosang started to wonder how Yongguk could. Or how any of this related to the topic at hand. He disliked speaking about his father, and if anything, he would move that conversation to a later point once they knew more about the core and what Seonghwa wanted with it.</p><p>Yet, he played along, for the peace of it. Yongguk’s deep voice was urgent, and Yeosang didn’t want to snap at him. They all were too tense for that.</p><p>"He seldomly shows himself... But I have a drawing of him, even if it's bad." With those words, Yeosang marched over to his backpack. He produced his drawing book from there and began to flick through the pages. The back of it was nearly filled by now with drawings of his friends and new plot ideas, but he knew the early pages like the back of his hand. He hadn’t looked at this particular sheet ever since he had closed it the first time he drew on it. Even now, he spared it no glance as he handed the book over. Curious, the group let it travel through the room so everybody could get a glimpse.</p><p>"What the...</p><p>"Horrific."</p><p>Jongho said nothing. Yeosang suspected he might have already viewed the page when he had flicked through the book once to write his name down there. Yeosang averted his eyes when San and Mingi threw him worried glances. Undeterred, Yongguk continued speaking. Once the book was shut, San laid it down next to the core. Like a vile insect, it rested there, and Yeosang shunned looking at it.</p><p>"The king is a machine. He is artificially being kept alive by nethicite. But if he has the sources to prolong people's lives, then why isn't everybody a cyborg like him?"</p><p>The room kept silent at this other sudden change of topics. They went in circles, Yongguk kept throwing things in the room that seemed entirely unrelated and needed interpretation for understanding. His abstract thoughts had Yeosang’s mind reeling, and Jongho just stared at him blankly.</p><p>"What do you think, how much energy does it take to power a machine that gives you powers beyond human imagination? That makes you to a god, basically? Maybe - and pardon me if I might miscalculate - half a city's worth of power?"</p><p>Yeosang blanched. It couldn’t be.</p><p>The only person still coherent enough to conspire with Yongguk was Mingi.</p><p>"Are you saying-"</p><p>"I merely wanted to point out that the earthquake that ripped the two cities apart and redirected all nethicite energies towards Asora occurred very conveniently just when a king decided he needed a lot of energy to prolong his life."</p><p>"You are saying that he utilised the situation to his own gains? And that is why Zey suffers?" Mingi added right up, his eyes gleaming with interest. The rest of them got increasingly more uncomfortable.</p><p>"Oh, I would even be confident and make another suggestion. I dare say that the earthquake that perfectly divided Asorazey in the middle was anything but a natural disaster. I wouldn't put it past a person who wants power to kill hundreds and ditch a whole community for it. And to then becoming a thriving king while the public believes it to be a cruel twist of fate."</p><p>Shivers ran down Yeosang’s spine.</p><p>There was no way that was true. It must be something else. A coincidence. Maybe the king had used those energies only after the earthquake when the core was already lost, and he saw potential? But then why wouldn’t he try to rebuild a bridge to give the energy back instead of keeping it?</p><p>Yeosang roughly ran his hand through his hair when his heart froze over more and more. There had to be a solution. Maybe again this other person behind the king? Maybe they had coerced him into it. No reigning power would be so cruel. Yeosang’s father was a scary man, but he wouldn’t go to such extends.</p><p>Still, Yeosang’s eyes wavered when he rose them to Yongguk. A sympathetic sad little smile played around his lips.</p><p>"I also wouldn’t put it past such a person to kill their son if he found out about this foul game, for that matter."</p><p>Once more, Yeosang’s world shattered around him. All the hopeful pieces he had collected so carefully to uphold a sense of security and trust, they got blown to dust.</p><p>Tears welled up in his eyes when he finally understood. When he truly, finally understood just how bad the cities suffered and where all that misery came from.</p><p>Seonghwa had been right, and Yeosang should never have questioned his motives.</p><p>Their father was the bad guy. And he needed to be stopped.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Back to Qam</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yeosang didn’t sleep that night.</p><p>With burning eyes, he spent his evening curled up next to Jongho writing letters to Seonghwa until late in the night. He poured out all of his heart into the apologies on his paper. Even all of his regrets that he hadn’t believed Seonghwa, who was no doubt, in even more pain than Yeosang could even fathom. Yeosang had attempted his best to save the reputation of their home and make sure they hadn’t been puppets their whole lives long, but he had failed. Seonghwa had been right in everything he had suspected, and Yeosang didn’t doubt that his brother had suffered more than Yeosang.</p><p>In his letter, he assured Seonghwa of his complete loyalty and trust in him and that he was deeply sorry for ever growing wary of Seonghwa’s words. He also wrote a lot about Zey and how their people had been valid in their hatred, albeit not knowing how deep the roots of the problem in Asorazey really ran. With Jongho’s face relaxed as he slumbered peacefully next to Yeosang, the librarian’s heart ached for the injustice the man had endured.</p><p>And more than anything, he now wanted to know what Seonghwa’s plan was. The man had come here with a goal and sent them out to achieve another stepping stone in his path. He had his plans, no doubt. Their lives had become a game of chess, and with the king on the high ground, Seonghwa had to place his pieces carefully.</p><p>Seonghwa was a master at chess. Yeosang believed in his abilities to win this party, too.</p><p>He didn’t write to Wooyoung. Their findings could give their location away, and Yeosang didn’t want the other man to accidentally blow his cover as he attempted to support their mission. While Yeosang promised himself to get Wooyoung to join them before anything could happen to him, it was not yet the time for that.</p><p>Jongho didn’t rouse all through the night. The thought of him slumbering deeply and peacefully next to Yeosang without a worry in the world and any reason to distrust his friend assured Yeosang. And when the little daylight that reached the canyon back here finally illuminated the room in a hazy twilight, Yeosang had long since sent Bricky off to Seonghwa and waited for the rest to stir.</p><p>They would go right back to San’s home today. They had no reason to stall and further burden Yongguk with their presence. Many things were left to do in Qam now, and Yeosang suspected that the voyage there would clear his mind. Albeit their suspicions and his weak attempts to defuse the nasty rumours about the palace, his thoughts were strewn all over the place. He had known, deep inside, that there had always been a high risk of Seonghwa's claims being legitimate. But he hadn’t wanted to face that truth. And now that it had been forced upon him so brusquely, his disorientation greatly inconvenienced him.</p><p>In the time they would spend hanging dangerously from steep walls once more, Yeosang would sort his thoughts. About San and Jongho and his scattered feelings about them, about the king, and about what he could do to resolve this situation. Yeosang was no fighter; he wasn’t like Jongho. But he had a stubborn mind that hated lies and deceit. If there was nothing else for him to do, then he could at least face the king once more and get his answers. And if he had to open the palace doors for Seonghwa to do whatever had to be done, then he was ready to do so. Yeosang played his role on the chessboard, too, and while he might have been a replaceable background character so far, he recognised his importance by now. He had been relevant ever since he had joined the board by leaving the castle together with Jongho.</p><p>The morning came with Mingi stumbling up the stairs first to make himself some tea. He barely even noticed Yeosang resting awake and watching him like a hawk. Only when he sat down to audibly slurp his leaf water, his eyes wandered to the sleeping pair.</p><p>Mingi startled so hard that he burnt his tongue. With an apologising smile, Yeosang sat up.</p><p>“You look like death. Did you consider even a minute of sleep?” Mingi’s hiss was nearly too low for Yeosang to understand, but he chuckled regardless. They tried their best not to wake Jongho, but the man behind Yeosang already stirred. Fond, Yeosang watched him squish his cheek against the jacket that formed his pillow in protest against waking up.</p><p>“I didn’t; my mind was too loud. Did you sleep well enough for both of us?”</p><p>“I sure tried. Want some tea?”</p><p>Yeosang didn’t say no to that. Upon Mingi’s consideration, he also stayed still next to Jongho, so his rustling and disappearance wouldn’t wake the man entirely. Nestled underneath his warm blankets, Yeosang wrapped his hands around one of the two mugs Yongguk possessed and enjoyed the silence.</p><p>San joined them a while later. The creaking of his steps on the stairs was what ultimately rose Jongho, too, but he had yet to sit up fully. Instead, he barely supported his body on one arm before he fell over into Yeosang’s lap with a quiet groan. With a little giggle, Yeosang brushed his hand through the man’s hair gently while San searched for a spot to sit.</p><p>“Now, when do we want to leave?”</p><p>Mingi cut right to the chase. With no appointed leader between them, they all just turned towards San cluelessly. The man laughed at them with his ruffled hair and still sleepy eyes.</p><p>“Whenever you please. I talked to Yongguk yesterday, and he agreed to join us until Blagbarrow. He said to be ready to go whenever we please. I reckon we start sooner rather than later so we have to spend fewer nights on the walls.”</p><p>The idea sounded wise to them. Nobody had any complaints, so they decided to get ready. While San safely stored the energy core away in his backpack, Yeosang knelt next to Jongho to help him with his gadgets.</p><p>His shoulder had become considerably better in the two days he hadn’t completely overtasked it, and Yeosang was sad to see the efforts go to waste. Yet, he didn’t mention it as he settled next to Jongho to help him the straps he couldn’t reach.</p><p>His metal leg wrap and sleeve were both one continuous part with metal joints that bent and moved in accordance with Jongho’s movements. Both pieces were cushioned against his clothes with some fabric nailed to the metal and held by multiple straps he could adjust around his body.</p><p>While Jongho still discussed their water provisions with Mingi, Yeosang carefully angled the man’s leg until he could access them all. He started with the lower ones and neatly tightened them around Jongho’s flesh. As he travelled further up to his thigh, however, Jongho stopped him absent-mindedly. Their hands brushed when the man adjusted one of the straps to fit around his leg snugly. The scars and rough patches of his skin that had become one with him after many years of work felt foreign to Yeosang’s skin. He wanted to run his hands over them and explore, learn every single one of their stories, but there was no time.</p><p>Yongguk joined them shortly after once the commotion rouse him. His movements were quite awake for the morning, and he also already wore clothing fit to scaling the walls. A duffel bag hung from his shoulder.</p><p>Once they had finished all their preparations and wolfed down some food, it was time to leave the hermit’s home.</p><p>Yongguk was the one to lead them out this time. As Yeosang followed the rest of his friends over the wall, he didn’t glance back even once. He had the looming future to prepare for.</p><p>-</p><p>Compared to the travel from Qam to Yongguk’s home, the journey back seemed far shorter. Maybe it was because Yeosang’s mind was so preoccupied with anything but the task of climbing. Or maybe he managed to pass the time faster now that the future had a more transparent outline and they knew where to go.</p><p>Yeosang had done a lot of thinking in his every waking hour. His brooding had scared his teammates off, and they had left him to figure things out while they kept an eye on his climbing. He awoke only in between their tour when they crossed Blagbarrow. With all the kindness and sincerity he could muster in his distraught state, he had wished Yongguk goodbye. The man had asked them to be notified if anything significant happened up on the surface and with a hollow smile, Yeosang had promised him to send Bricky if anything of the like occurred.</p><p>San left Yeosang his space. Jongho seldomly crossed his thoughts. Not even Mingi’s jokes and tender attempts to reach out and assure himself of Yeosang’s wellbeing got through his thick skull.</p><p>Their voyage felt quieter without Yongguk. The man hadn’t been particularly vocal, but he had at least distracted them all enough that they had put on a polite front for him. Now, outside of the walls and just walking the cave paths between Qam and Blagbarrow, the silence that wrapped around them was deafening. Yeosang knew that he caused it for the most part since the others didn’t want to disrupt his quiet crisis, but he didn’t have the heart to mind. He appreciated their solitude for what it was worth.</p><p>It took them less than a month to and fro to the end of the canyon. And once the peaceful little huts and joyous energies from Qam came back into sight, Yeosang exhaled audibly. Immediately, San’s spirits also lifted, and Mingi rose his head higher.</p><p>Yeosang blearily glanced at Jongho. He hadn’t gotten much sleep these days, but the constant worry about the man’s injured shoulder still busied his mind. Jongho wasn’t the type to complain or ask for help, so Yeosang had taken it upon himself to pay close attention to the man.</p><p>Jongho, however, seemed just as happy as the other two. While he had no one, in particular, to look forward to here, he still shared their enjoyment with a little private smile. Yeosang appreciated it.</p><p>They returned to the home of San’s family with relief dropping from them at every step. Yeosang couldn’t wait to talk things out with Seonghwa and to sleep in an actual bed for once in a while. The change of perspective from the palace had taught him to appreciate his foregone privileges more. At the mere mention of actual accommodations for them, Yeosang nearly fainted from relief. San had offered him to share his room once more, too, so that he wouldn’t have to squeeze into a separate space with the others.</p><p>Seonghwa wasn’t in the hut when they arrived there. After a fatherly hug from the mayor, San inquired about him as if he knew that he was Yeosang’s sole concern.</p><p>“He’s out with Hongjoong. He has healed well in the time you were gone, and we moved him to a different hut after another family moved out. The rest of the team can share it now, of course.”</p><p>As predicted, Hongjoong and Seonghwa were joined at the hip. Yeosang had yet to get to know the blue-haired air pilot better, but there was still time for that.</p><p>When he insecurely looked between the stairs and the door outside, San had gently grasped Yeosang’s hand. His father didn’t comment on it, but Yeosang spied the way Mingi discreetly peeped at Jongho. If he hadn’t been so tired and so done with all his world views, then he would have read into it.</p><p>“Do you want to search for him or rest first? I can accompany you.”</p><p>Yeosang had chuckled at his sweet offer.</p><p>“I will let him have his fun. Good Sir, could you perhaps inform my brother of our return once you see him again? I would like to meet him as soon as possible.”</p><p>The mayor had nodded quickly. Then, he had stepped away from the stairs to allow them passage.</p><p>“Of course. Then rest first, you deserve it. I shall show your companions to their hut; it’s directly opposite of here. We can reconcile and discuss matters over breakfast tomorrow.”</p><p>And without another word, that was what they did. Yeosang sluggishly washed and put on a fresh shirt before he tumbled into bed with San. Wrapped in the man’s warm embrace, he could forget all his worries at least for a short while.</p><p>Soon, he would talk to Seonghwa, and then he had more answers.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. The Lighthouse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It's a smut</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The light of day greeted Yeosang while he was still snuggled tight against San’s chest. Their legs had found their way to each other during the night, and they had interwoven to the point of Yeosang not being sure anymore where one of them began and where the other one ended. Both of them were wrapped in a lovely bubble of cosy heat that their bodies had accumulated overnight. Now that Yeosang got aware of it, it even felt too hot for him.</p><p>With a slight groan and without taking his arm from San’s waist that he must have hugged in his sleep, Yeosang kicked off one corner of their blanket. He was careful not to expose San to the colder room temperature. Since the man was still lost in the land of dreams and his face was relaxed, Yeosang didn’t want to bother him.</p><p>Yeosang himself remained uncomfortable, however. He couldn't deny the strain a somewhat familiar hardness in his pants. His last sleep cycle had probably ended not too long ago, and his blood had yet to settle down. Yeosang blushed when he gained full awareness of just how tightly his crotch was pressed against San's. Sometime during the night, their bodies must have aligned instinctively with each other. With his face hot, Yeosang attempted to will his interested arousal down before San would wake.</p><p>Yeosang’s thoughts drifted to social injustice, political ploys, and cruel mass murder to distract himself. While he eyed San’s face up and down to appreciate the soft undertones in his usually so sharp and attractive features, the noises of Qam outside gradually started to filter through the window. The village awoke with high spirits and the usual carefree and fun-loving energy that Yeosang had learnt to appreciate so much about this place.</p><p>San roused a while after from the swell of voices outside. With the merchants in front of the window bellowing their prices left and right, there wasn’t much possibility to sleep. After a first discontent whine, he buried his head in Yeosang’s chest.</p><p>Cooing, Yeosang brushed his hair from his forehead. It was soft to the touch, if not as silky as Jongho’s. The structure was also choppier.</p><p>“Good morning, sleeping beauty.”</p><p>With a giggle, San turned his head to smile cutely at Yeosang. His eyes disappeared into little crescents.</p><p>“Me, a sleeping beauty? Oh, birdie, you are too adorable for me to handle.” He surged up in a sweet kiss. Yeosang made exaggerated groaning noises when San covered his whole face in tiny kisses. The treatment was devastating in itself, but even then, Yeosang’s mind strayed.</p><p>What would it be like to wake up in Jongho’s arms? Would Jongho hold him tight even once they both awoke? Would he share kisses before he went off to look cool and confident? Jongho had soft sides to him, how much else would he treat a lover if he had one?</p><p>Yeosang wondered once more if Jongho had ever had a lover. What were they like? What type of people did Jongho like?</p><p>San shifted to pull back from him, and finally, Yeosang’s attention snapped back to his boyfriend. With a smile, he pressed another kiss to San’s pouty lips. The man had worn a sleeveless top to sleep, and his toned arms left, and right of Yeosang’s head didn’t fit the general tender image. Nonetheless, Yeosang revelled in the excitement in his stomach that filled him whenever he was near San. It always had him feel nauseous, too, but mostly happy.</p><p>“Don’t ever think that you aren’t beautiful. Always.”</p><p>With a dreamy sigh, San blinked at him. They kissed again, their touches getting more lingering every time. Yeosang nearly fell asleep from how languid, and patient San’s kisses were.</p><p>Then, San hesitated. He disconnected their lips to lean his forehead against Yeosang’s. Both of them breathed deeply.</p><p>“Yeosang… Your weapon. Do you need help unloading it? Not wanting to pressure you, I just want to offer.”</p><p>Yeosang had been foolish to hope he wouldn’t notice. Of course, with the way their bodies were pressed together, there was no way that San could overlook something as obvious as that.</p><p>Unsure, he looked between San’s eyes. He found loyalty and devotion there, nothing akin to ulterior motives or odd thoughts. It was the sweetest expression any lover could dream of. Yeosang found himself melting off even when his stomach churned with nervousness.</p><p>Coy, he wrapped his arms around San’s neck. He hid from him behind his hair, but his voice was stable when he spoke.</p><p>“Please. I would appreciate some help.”</p><p>San showed off his dimples in the calming grin Yeosang adored so much. He dropped another kiss on Yeosang’s lips before he gradually kissed over his jaw and neck. His every touch was gentle as he mapped out Yeosang’s body with his lips and hands. This time, Yeosang didn’t flinch away. He let his eyes flutter shut and trusted in San’s searching hands when they travelled down his shirt. They roamed his hips to apply mild pressure that had Yeosang feel tiny and protected in the man’s powerful grip.</p><p>From time to time, San glanced at Yeosang to make sure he was still on board with this idea. Whenever their eyes met over San kissing down his chest though, Yeosang couldn’t agree more around the tiny moans that tumbled from his mouth.</p><p>San’s lips on his stomach were soft. They left tiny marks in their wake, but every nip at Yeosang’s skin was careful. Were Jongho’s lips just as soft? Was Jongho the type to leave marks? If Yeosang carded his fingers through his hair like he just did with San, would he like that?</p><p>For a long moment, Yeosang blanked. He imagined Jongho kissing over his chest, Jongho’s scarred fingers hooking into the waistband of his sleeping pants. Jongho Jongho Jongho.</p><p>San was just about to put his mouth in places a mouth had never been before on Yeosang when Yeosang’s hand shot out. A single warning push against San’s shoulder was enough for him to retreat. At once, he sat back on his haunches and took Yeosang’s hand in his to hold it gently.</p><p>Yeosang fought with himself for a second. The heat in his body told him to return right back where they were and to appreciate San’s godlike body underneath his fingers. But he couldn’t. It was just too cruel even if he ached to help when he glanced at the bulge in the other man’s pants.</p><p>“San… I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Don’t apologise. There is nothing to be sorry about.” With the hint of a smile curling around his lips, San lifted Yeosang’s hand to his face and brushed a kiss over his knuckles. Shy, Yeosang rubbed his toes together.</p><p>“I need to verify a theory of mine but I might return with bad news. Will you await me? I might have to put our relationship into jeopardy because of Jongho.”</p><p>San nodded earnestly. Nothing but care for Yeosang and patience in whatever he desired laid in his eyes. That, and a knowing glint that seemed far too calculated to be new.</p><p>“Do whatever needs to be done, we can talk afterwards.”</p><p>And just like that, he let Yeosang go. He didn’t stop the librarian when he marched right down the stairs and crossed the platform between the houses with long steps. Even when he threw open the door to the house the rest of his friends resided in, not an ounce of hesitation crossed Yeosang.</p><p>Mingi sat in the living room, looking alarmed.</p><p>“Jongho?”</p><p>Meek, the red-haired man, pointed his chin upstairs. A blush dusted his cheeks when he got fully aware of the status Yeosang was in. He had no time to comment, however, since Yeosang already moved on. Taking two steps at a time, he sprung up the stairs and brusquely ripped open the only door that was closed.</p><p>Jongho sat on his bed like a startled rabbit, his fingers frozen in movement. He had just reached for his gear, and now, his eyes widened at the sight of Yeosang.</p><p>“Yeosang? Do you need anything? Seonghwa isn’t-”</p><p>With the rudest behaviour, Yeosang had ever seen on himself, Yeosang completely ignored his words. Instead, he came right over and never halted. Jongho squeaked confusedly when Yeosang threw a leg over his lap and planted himself there as if he belonged in this place only. No resistance came when Yeosang wrapped his hands around Jongho’s neck. His fingers slid through silky and soft hair, just as he had imagined it.</p><p>Calm washed over him. Calm and a low simmering determination to reach his goal.</p><p>“Will you allow me to kiss you?”</p><p>Jongho gaped at Yeosang. His dumbstruck expression was adorable, and Yeosang yearned even more to close the gap between them.</p><p>“Yeosang- What about San? Are you alright? You look as if he-”</p><p>“Don’t worry about San. Kiss?”</p><p>Completely overtasked, Jongho just nodded. And that single nod of affirmation was enough to have them crash into each other like two waves. Yeosang surged forward to catch Jongho’s sweet and pouty lips with his own, and they tasted delicious. They tasted like the honeyed pastries they sold on the market, like his confident and resilient personality, and like the caring essence of his very soul. Yeosang kissed him as if he was a fallen star he had to treasure and worship.</p><p>And Jongho kissed him back.</p><p>Jongho didn’t hesitate to wrap a pair of strong arms around Yeosang’s middle and pull him closer on his lap as if he didn’t weigh anything. His muscular thighs shifted underneath Yeosang when he adjusted to keep Yeosang where he was for a while longer. The gesture had happiness fill Yeosang’s heart. Then, he completely fell into the gentle touches of Jongho’s lips on his, of his gradual approach of deepening the kiss, and the way his long lashes brushed against Yeosang’s cheeks when they fluttered shut.</p><p>Finally, everything felt right. Yeosang wasn’t a nervous wreck anymore, he could enjoy his time and focus on the task at hand instead of letting his thoughts wander. Nothing but Jongho and how his shoulders felt underneath Yeosang’s hands were important.</p><p>Yeosang didn’t mind when Jongho’s fingers slipped underneath his shirt by their own accord. He let himself be lifted and turned around until Jongho could place him under his body on the sheets.</p><p>Originally, Yeosang had planned to stop somewhere. Where, he wasn’t sure, but he hadn’t intended to let his fingers roam under Jongho’s top and over his chest, prompting the man to pull off his shirt. Neither had he foreseen Jongho pushing up Yeosang’s shirt to kiss over his ribs just as San had done earlier. He didn’t comment on the marks, but it took no genius to know they were fresh. Jealousy wafted off him in waves, but he didn’t try to compete. He left no marks upon marks to replace them or hurt Yeosang by making more or larger ones. He merely pulled them flush together until Yeosang’s whole body tingled with the feeling of Jongho against him. Inside his chest, his heart nearly combusted from all the yearning and hoping that finally got resolved.</p><p>Yeosang couldn’t believe how blind he had been. How, after all those months of knowing Jongho, just now everything fell into place. Desperately, he clawed and pulled at the man, needing him closer to leave not even space for a single sheet of paper between their bodies. Jongho’s skin was warm and marred by occasional scars from his work, but Yeosang didn’t mind. Just how fascinated Jongho’s hands were on Yeosang’s smooth and pale skin, Yeosang explored the other man’s body with amazement.</p><p>Before Jongho pulled down Yeosang’s pants with the full intention to only stop if explicitly asked to, he peered at Yeosang’s face. With his eyes lidded and fire burning in his veins from the desire he had for the westsider, Yeosang nodded at him. This time, he didn’t force it. He wanted anything Jongho was willing to give, and he wanted to give back ten times more.</p><p>Jongho’s fingers wrapped around Yeosang careful at first as if he didn’t want to startle the man. But when Yeosang just stifled a groan in his hand, Jongho got more confident. He lowered his head to sink his hot mouth down on Yeosang, too, and stars clouded the librarian’s vision not only from the sensations that washed over him but also the knowledge that this was Jongho whom his heart sung for.</p><p>Yeosang’s fingers tangled in Jongho’s hair all over again, never urging him to anything, but needing to hold on to ground himself over the sweet pleasure that threatened to pull him away. Mindless, he stretched out one of his legs beneath Jongho as an offer. The man took it, and Yeosang nearly trembled from anticipation when Jongho’s hips ground against him. The knowledge of this being Jongho instead of San Yeosang held had him far more confident and willing.</p><p>Before he could release in Jongho’s mouth, Yeosang pulled the man off him. He had remembered something from a book he had read once - an adult one - and the idea popped into his head mid-moan.</p><p>“J-Jongho. Do you want to be inside me?” His voice was scratchy from misuse, but Jongho heard him. With an obscene bulging against his cheek and lips, Jongho released Yeosang’s straining arousal from his lips. Immediately, Yeosang regretted the decision. In an attempt to make it better, Jongho still lazily stroked him up and down while he regarded Yeosang like a hawk. He was too much for the poor librarian to handle, all effortlessly attractive.</p><p>“Does that work?”</p><p>“Yeah… We just need uh- some oil?”</p><p>Jongho curiously tilted his head at Yeosang, but he seemed to get the idea. With a gesture for him to stay where he was, he strode out of the room.</p><p>In the distance, Yeosang could hear Mingi squeal and then a door fell shut. Amused, Yeosang kicked his pants off. It was weird for him, being aroused and on display while he waited for Jongho to return. Once the weight of the situation caught up with him, he hid behind his hands embarrassedly. He didn’t want to stop, but he hadn’t anticipated the awkwardness that came with this.</p><p>Jongho returned in record speed and kicked the door behind him shut. At Yeosang’s hidden state, a little empathetic giggle escaped his lips. Thankfully, he didn’t stall but sat down next to Yeosang to run a hand down the length of his body slowly. His appreciative fingers discovered the mounds and valleys of Yeosang with wonder. Shivering from the cold, Yeosang leaned into his warm touch.</p><p>“You’re beautiful.”</p><p>Albeit flattered, Yeosang blushed all the more.</p><p>“Did you bring cooking oil?”</p><p>“Yeah. Do I- just go in?”</p><p>Yeosang shook his head behind his arms. Blind, he reached out to pull Jongho closer and above him. Once his warmth was back, and Yeosang could smell his freshly washed hair again, he calmed considerably.</p><p>“No, we need to massage it with fingers first. Do you want to try it, or…?”</p><p>Neither of them had many ideas of what they were doing, so they settled for Jongho back above Yeosang and their lips meeting while Jongho cautiously felt for Yeosang.</p><p>Preparing him took them a while. Yeosang was tense and anxious about hurting himself, but Jongho took all the patience in the world to ease his fingers in slowly. In the beginning, Yeosang disliked the feeling and clung to Jongho with a frown. Soon, however, they discovered how to find pleasurable spots and what to do for him to enjoy it. After a while, Yeosang even dropped his hands to fall against the pillows behind him and whine sweetly.</p><p>“Like this? You like this, don’t you?” A chuckle carried with Jongho’s voice, and Yeosang wanted to kick him for it. Instead, he took his revenge by slipping his hand in Jongho’s pants. That shut the man up instantly.</p><p>Both of them were distracted from the tasks at hand while constantly stilling to revel in the sensations of sweet pleasure they brought upon each other. Sometimes, Jongho snickered quietly when he noticed himself sitting without moving to lowly moan over Yeosang’s ministrations in his pants. Other times, he had to thrust against Yeosang’s limp hand impatiently when he got lost in pleasure.</p><p>It felt forever until Yeosang was ready to take Jongho. A sheen layer of sweat covered him by then, but his impatience and need for more fuelled him when he helped Jongho slide off his pants. As he parted Yeosang’s legs to settle between them, Yeosang’s embarrassment and excitement made for a melting mixture in his chest.</p><p>One more time, Jongho looked between them, checking on both of their wellbeings as Yeosang positioned them. His legs framed Jongho’s hips to either side of the man so his thighs could kneel comfortably around Yeosang’s bottom. When he found nothing to disagree about, he placed one hand on Yeosang’s thigh to hold onto him as he guided their bodies together.</p><p>Yeosang threw his head back with a hiss when he was first entered. They had prepared him well, he wasn’t in pain, but the act alone, the knowledge that he and Jongho were doing this had his mind stutter and reel like an old machine.</p><p>A few minutes later, Jongho was fully sheathed inside and lowered his body fully onto Yeosang to pepper gentle kisses all over his face. The touches lingered on his cheeks, lips, and forehead.</p><p>From then on, it was as if nature overtook both of them. Their bodies didn’t need much to figure themselves out, and their instincts dictated them to move to a piece of music that countless people before them had known. Yet, it seemed as if this music, in particular, was entirely their own. It beat in tandem with their blooming hearts, and the love blossomed between them after a long time of hesitation and doubts. Yeosang knew he was lost when he gazed upon Jongho’s eyes and found the world in them.</p><p>Jongho meant home; he meant family. He meant all the love that Yeosang could give.</p><p>They sealed their unspoken bond with their closeness. Neither needed to address it to read it in the other’s eyes.</p><p>Yeosang had finally found closure, had found something to hold onto. His life had fallen apart but with Jongho, he had found his lighthouse that had directed him back from stormy seas.</p><p>Finally, he knew. That with Jongho by his side, Yeosang didn’t have to fear.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Clearance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yeosang sat between San and Jongho, rubbing his thighs with his hands. Shyness had overcome him once he had asked both men to join him in the same room. While aware that he needed to sort things out, he now dreaded the much-needed conversation.</p><p>“So… Yes, I decided we should resolve this like adults.”</p><p>San’s eyes glinted amused when they travelled over the pair. It took not much of an afternoonified guess to know what had happened between Yeosang and Jongho, and now they sat huddled close together with their heads bowed. At least, they had kept their hands off each other now since guilt still glued Yeosang in place.</p><p>“I’m sorry about the chaos I created. I didn’t want to drag both of you into this emotional mess.”</p><p>Yeosang’s indecisiveness had made it hard on both of them. He had never responded to San how the man deserved it, and at the same time infuriated Jongho by still dating the other man. For weeks, Yeosang had been unjust to both, and he hated himself for it. San took it with ease, as he usually did, and Jongho sat stiff as ever, but he seemed less defensive towards San now. Yeosang couldn’t believe that his stupid headless chicken run had caused both of them so much stress. Their mission had preoccupied him so much that he hadn’t even noticed the problems he had created left and right.</p><p>“It’s fine that you don’t always know exactly what you want. From all I’ve gathered, you guys didn’t have the easiest of journeys, and I can imagine that handling everything at once wasn’t an easy task to do. I’m not mad at you,” San assured him with that kind face of his. Yeosang grinned at him hopefully.</p><p>“It wasn’t hard to guess that you two had something special going on. I always had an eye out for each of you, so I’m not too surprised now.”</p><p>Despite his voice carrying no bitterness, Yeosang dug his fingertips into his thighs. He didn’t even notice that he worried his lip between his teeth.</p><p>“I should have treated you better. My approach was unfair. All this time, it was always rather Jongho than you, but I never mustered the courage to tell either of you so.”</p><p>Jongho looked at him as empathetic as San did, but he didn’t comment on it. In hindsight, Yeosang saw all the hints of his jealousy and own hidden feelings now. He even suspected that Jongho had liked him for quite a while and Yeosang had just been too stupid to notice. If he could turn back time, he would, and not even let this odd puzzle of people become a problem.</p><p>“I also sincerely apologise. I viewed you with more contempt than necessary when really, you are a great companion to us,” Jongho added with a little unsure smile. Like the fool in love he was, Yeosang studied his features. They seemed so open and trusting by now. Jongho had become a wholly different person compared to when they just met.</p><p>San shook his head at both of them. Even now, his support was enormous.</p><p>“As I said, I’m happy for both of you, and there is no reason to worry. I won’t let this come between us. As of now, I wish you two the best.”</p><p>The mention of a future friendship had Yeosang rise his head curiously. He trusted in San’s words to still be their companion even if the two of them weren’t doing the bear anymore, but he didn’t know in what setting San imagined himself to be in the future.</p><p>“Say, will you accompany us further than here? Or will you stay in Qam?”</p><p>“I planned to join the meeting you have with Seonghwa this evening. Depending on what your ultimate plan is, I considered to join you. It’s not as if I have much to do here in Qam.” San uncrossed his long legs as if ready to leave.</p><p>“Oh, that would be great actually! If nobody minds, of course.” Unsure, Yeosang glanced over to Jongho. If anybody could have a problem with San joining the team, it would be him.</p><p>Jongho looked peaceful. He merely nodded with a little smile.</p><p>“I think Mingi would also be elated.”</p><p>San grinned at them like the sun rising in the morning.</p><p>“Delightful. Then I will leave you two gentlemen alone and tend to my other duties. It seems like you also have a lot to talk about.” His playful wink suggestionised anything but just talking. Yeosang lowered his eyes as he fought his smile.</p><p>San was a precious friend for him. He had spent strength and support for Yeosang when he had been entirely lost and felt as if none of the faces around him could be trusted. From then until ever, he would own a special place in Yeosang’s heart.</p><p>“See you later, then.”</p><p>San tipped his invisible hat at the two of them before exiting Jongho’s room. He left an awkward silence behind in which none of the two remaining men knew how to address the further topics.</p><p>“So… You were jealous a lot because of him, huh?”</p><p>“On the better days, I just imagined myself crushing his windpipe with my hands. I was angrier whenever you clearly looked as if you two had been kissing.”</p><p>Yeosang winced, but he allowed Jongho to wrap an arm around his smaller form and pull him in. His comforting weight around Yeosang had him melt against the westsider willingly. His eyes travelled over the desk opposite of them, where Bricky sat at the moment shut off so nobody in Qam would find him uncanny.</p><p>“What brutal imagery.”</p><p>“If it helps, he is fine. That means I have great self-restraint.”</p><p>Yeosang laughed at the lack of effort. Still, he found the thought that somebody could care enough about him to get envious of another person incredibly flattering. He had never viewed himself as a person deserving of much attention, but Jongho and San had taught him his worth anew.</p><p>“I’m so proud. You truly don’t mind him joining us?”</p><p>With a gentle shake of his head, Jongho rested his head against Yeosang’s. The librarian imagined his cheek squishing against his skull.</p><p>“San’s a good guy, we can need his help. And since you two also didn’t end on bad terms, there is nothing more we could wish for.”</p><p>Yeosang remembered Mingi and how incredibly unproblematic the man was. He merely accompanied them, had his fun, and was there to help whenever he was needed. A great friend, truly. All three of them had now become important friends to Yeosang, and even if they weren’t enough to take over a kingdom, they were enough to bring him happiness how he had never received it before.</p><p>“That’s good, yeah. Then shall we go?”</p><p>“Go where?”</p><p>“To Seonghwa. I missed him, and I can’t wait to discuss Hongjoong with him now that I figured us out.”</p><p>Jongho nudged him as if offended by the thought he was a difficulty to solve. He was, to Yeosang, he truly was. But yet, the westsider stood up to kindly offer his hand. A gummy grin showed on his lips when Yeosang took it and let the man lead the way.</p><p>-</p><p>Once more when Yeosang and Seonghwa met again, the librarian was alleviated to see his brother well. The prince - if he could still be called that - had by now changed his hair colour and style to blend into the crowds more easily and distract people from his true identity. The soft blond hair that fell into his forehead was unfamiliar to Yeosang, but it suited him. Upon San’s compliment on it, Seonghwa beamed especially bright.</p><p>“It was Hongjoong’s idea. We figured that once I go back to the palace, I could use the distraction.”</p><p>Seonghwa glanced at the air pilot in question who sat right next to him. The rest of the gathered people pretended that they fell for the way they had hidden their hands underneath the table as if they weren’t holding on to each other. Seonghwa was secretive about their relationship, dodging many questions, but Yeosang had seen right through his brother. He was absolutely whipped for the other man, and Yeosang didn’t doubt that he would also join the team.</p><p>A wry smirk crossed Yeosang’s lips anyway. Not as if he and Jongho were seated any different.</p><p>“A good idea.”</p><p>Mingi joined the room moments after, completing their group. They had all collected around the tiny table in the middle of the room and brought extra chairs to consult each other on plans and ideas. San was here, Mingi, Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Jongho, and also Yeosang. Even Bricky sat on a windowsill and merrily sung his melody.</p><p>“Are we all here? Good. So, now we have this.” Seonghwa nodded his chin at the energy core in their middle. By now, the story that Yongguk had told had found its way to everybody’s ears, and all of them knew what it meant. Their target was the king on his mighty throne. And all of the people here had decided to take an offensive stance.</p><p>“From what I know, if we were able to bring it back into place by building conduction lines between the two cities with this in the middle, then energy will pass freely again. However, not only do we need time for that, but we also need the king to remove the Spheres and also the power he operates to accumulate all energies for himself.” Seonghwa’s voice was grave as he summarised the current predicament. Mingi’s fingers idly thrummed on the scratched up tabletop.</p><p>“This means, however, a direct impeachment of him as a king and possible death without his energies. Which is why we can safely assume that he would - once more - try to get rid of our tiny group to uphold his reign.”</p><p>Some nods and disheartened grumbles answered him. Hongjoong peered at Seonghwa from the side, and a barely noticeable frown marred his features. Yeosang felt with him for the worry about his brother.</p><p>“This is why I have compiled all information we have gathered from Asora and Zey up until now to see where we can strike to hopefully win this attempt at what seems to be suicide squad. Before I get into them, though, I need to re-evaluate everybody sitting at this table. With the exception of Yeosang and Hongjoong, because I know to trust those two.”</p><p>Despite knowing that it was Seonghwa’s completely valid paranoia of having been betrayed once, the knowledge that he distrusted Yeosang’s friends didn’t sit right with him. Before he even had to raise a brow at Seonghwa, the man already caught his gaze.</p><p>“I’m not questioning you or your choice in people, Yeo, please know that. So I will do this once and attempt to trust again. I know to believe you.” A faint smile pulled on his plush lips. Yeosang complied with a nod. Then, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. Curious, Mingi looked between the two brothers.</p><p>Seonghwa supported his elbows on the tabletop and folded his hands underneath his chin. His long fingers curled prettily around his wrist and entranced everyone for a second until they could meet his stern face again.</p><p>“Starting at you, Sannie. Why did you decide to join us? And if you were not to, where would you put the knowledge of what we are doing?”</p><p>San copied Yeosang’s posture, and Yeosang just knew that he kicked his long leather-clad legs over each other cockily underneath the table. He didn’t even have to look.</p><p>“I joined because, after everything I learnt about your group and your mission, I wanted to help since I got personally invested. Since I am from Qam and intend to stay here if not for the mission, I would quickly forget you people ever existed and continue on my daily tasks.”</p><p>Seonghwa nodded at him, not even questioning his motives. He didn’t want an explanation; he just needed the most basic information. Once his eyes wandered on, they met Mingi.</p><p>“I’m in mostly because I am Jongho’s friend and want to help Zey. If we weren’t here, we would do our work as always.”</p><p>Jongho beamed at his friend, and the two bumped their fists together, then Mingi ruffled Jongho’s hair while he protested with low hisses. Jongho met Seonghwa’s eyes with the solemnity of one who met the family of their lover. His back stiffened slightly, and Yeosang awaited his response amusedly.</p><p>“I’m also watching out for Zey… And for my brother… And-” Jongho’s unsure voice grew smaller when he glanced at Yeosang. The message came across anyway, and once more, Yeosang finally saw. He willed the heavy tears of gratitude in his eyes back down as he held their eye contact.</p><p>Seonghwa hummed.</p><p>“Very well, then. So let’s go over Wooyoung’s letters first. And in a few days, we will get ready as this team to depart on our mission.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Soaring Heights</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With his eyes wide in wonder and intrigue, Yeosang scaled the gangplank to Hongjoong’s ship. He kept both of his hands on the handrail left and right of him, as instructed, and didn’t mind Mingi’s giggles behind him as he jested about Yeosang’s complete obedience. Beneath him, clouds formed a thin sheen between the docking station on the cliff and the ocean. He could still hear the mighty waters in the distance. It rhythmically crashed against the cliffs as if trying to crack them, and Yeosang respected it enough that he would instead hold tight onto the railing than fall into a deadly embrace.</p><p>Jongho was right behind him and watched the process of him traversing onto Hongjoong’s ship. It would safely take them up to the two cities after he showed them their surroundings. Seonghwa had asked him to fly them a few miles up so they could get an eyeful of just how far landward the canyon ran and get an idea where they could try and connect the two cities.</p><p>The view of the port that stretched far over the cliffs connecting to the ocean alone had Yeosang gaping with wonder. Ships of all kinds and sizes docked to the steep stone walls here, and little lifts brought them up to their destination, either Zey or Asora. Nobody questioned how they had flown out of the canyon on Hongjoong’s smaller aircraft a while prior. People either knew to keep the secret, or they didn’t care enough to mind.</p><p>Now, Yeosang couldn’t get enough of all the sights. All the enormous airships, some with single balloons, some with two, or even three of them sat docked to the walls as if they were little insects. Hongjoong’s ship itself - the <em>Puppeteer </em>as he introduced it proudly - had one ovally shaped balloon with a slight greenish tint to it where the nethicite that powered it contrasted with the yellowing canvas. The shine made it look as if it were made from glass that floated weightless as it carried the ship.</p><p>Hongjoong’s grin was bright, and his blue hair was ablaze like burning sapphire in the sun when he welcomed them on his ship with open arms. His crew was already on board and operated busily. They greeted their captain with hasty calls.</p><p>Seonghwa looked around with just as much amazement as the rest, even if he had been on airships before. However, his focus was mainly on Hongjoong and his pointy, fairy-like features that beamed so boastfully.</p><p>Yeosang hopped down from the little step that led up to the plank. He held his hand out for Jongho to take and moved further back once they were safely balanced on the wooden planks. San and Mingi followed behind them with heavy steps, while Bricky cheerfully whirred around their heads.</p><p>Once everybody was accounted for, Hongjoong beckoned two of his crew members to raise the anchor. While they were busy, Hongjoong led the rest of them on a little tour over the relatively narrow and small ship while they talked. Yeosang stared up at the mighty balloon that was far larger than the ship’s wooden body. All the nets and ropes and mechanics that surrounded the object were too intricate for him to understand. Rather, he appreciated the general sight of it. Meanwhile, Jongho murmured under his breath with Mingi about some of the mechanisms and their genius functions.</p><p>San wasn’t too interested in the ship. Upon asked, he informed Yeosang that he spent a lot of time on aircrafts when he travelled for Qam. He was one of their prominent people that were responsible that they always had enough food. Qam had their own ship, and in times the food rations were low, it was his job to join the crew and fly to a nearby place to account for everybody. He had never visited Asora or Zey before, though. He had only ever seen it from above.</p><p>Jongho was just about to come over and ramble to Yeosang about the beautiful wonders of this ship when Hongjoong called for their attention. At once, they all huddled together to go over the plan once more.</p><p>“So, we will fly up and get an overview for now. Then, we will discuss how we are planning to do this. I believe Wooyoung mentioned something about possible allies in Zey?” Hongjoong had to look up to meet Seonghwa’s eyes. The prince nodded, his face back to being a mask of professionalism that bordered icy resolution. He had finished all fun and games, and now he fixated on the task at hand.</p><p>“Correct. Yeosang also reached out and mentioned that the presence of Wooyoung himself might be a great advantage for us. We will have troubles getting around the Bishops, but since we have to get the picture behind the new army anyways, we will try to retrieve them.”</p><p>The ship gradually rose into the skies then the hot air in the mighty balloon swelled. The gas was additionally supported by the nethicite cores that Hongjoong used. They were far smaller than the one they had found in the canyon, smaller, and less powerful since they were only made to fuel a ship. Still, now that Yeosang knew the comparatively common material's true worth, he viewed it with as much importance as it deserved.</p><p>While he still focused on the conversation, Yeosang also overlooked the slowly disappearing docks and the humans on there that got as small as tiny ants. They busily ran around and did their work, but Yeosang felt detached from them. Truly, the skies meant freedom.</p><p>Mingi next to him revelled in the feeling of wind in his wild hair. He looked at peace with his current location. Yeosang understood him all too well.</p><p>“Zey’s local gangs have been on the move for years. If it is as he predicted, then they might utilise the timing of the king’s war against Gizfall soon. It seems as if there is more unrest in the palace itself, though. Wooyoung mentioned a certain tension.” Jongho had no issues to partake in the discussion. The Jongho from a few months ago would have dodged any conversation about politics, but by now, he seemed to be just as invested as the rest of them.</p><p>Seonghwa pensively looked out into the skies. The further they rose, the more they broke through the clouds. The cliffs next to them seemed to grow forever. No end was in sight in the thick white fog that clung to them.</p><p>“You mentioned that Yongguk was interested in more information about what would happen, right? Yongguk was never part of the palace, but I wonder if he might have known people who were also dissatisfied with the circumstances. A few people in those walls always questioned the king’s reign. Maybe we could reach out to them.”</p><p>“But how?”</p><p>Yeosang directed his attention back to his friends. Hongjoong and Seonghwa stared at each other as if communicating through their eyes alone. Then, Seonghwa hummed.</p><p>“Wooyoung might know more. It’s risky to just go there without more information. I reckon we visit Zey first and use Jongho and Mingi to get behind the gangs’ plans. Maybe they already placed some moles or know the people who spy for them. If we join their team, we might have a bigger chance of getting where we want to be. And Wooyoung shall be our correspondent within.”</p><p>The coup d’etat they imagined was anything but perfect. It needed a lot of planning and more people than just them. But there was no time. By the looks of it, the king only awaited the day to send out his troops. Everybody on the docks whispered about the aerial fleet being readied, too. They had to act fast now to keep the war from happening and resolve the tension between both cities before blood would paint the streets red.</p><p>Yeosang’s hand was still in Jongho’s. Ever since they had boarded the ship, neither of the two had let go. The man’s warm skin against his considerably calmed Yeosang and spent strength that at least rose his confidence that they could get through this. Whenever he doubted and just wanted to hide away, the possibility of getting out of this mess victorious and with Jongho’s hand still held in his helped Yeosang regain his energy.</p><p>“So we will start at Zey and then go as fast as possible to Asora. Best if you write Wooyoung another letter. He should know that we will be coming soon and hopefully be ready.” Hongjoong nodded at them to disperse before he went to discuss something with his helmsman. Mingi and San wandered off again to marvel at the airship. In the meantime, Seonghwa pulled Jongho and Yeosang to settle down with him on the ground. Comfortably, they got a piece of paper and stared at it for a while. Yeosang held the pen, but he couldn’t come up with a discreet way to warn the man. If Bricky were found and captured, then the letter had to be secretive enough that nobody would understand their intentions. From how alert the palace was by now, the risk was high that Bricky would be held up this time.</p><p>Seonghwa pondered the words with them.</p><p>“How about something along the lines of ‘we are on our way’? It could be from anyone, a friend, an enemy… They wouldn’t be able to pin it on us.” Jongho tapped his fingers on the metal of his leg. It was a little quirk of his that Yeosang had grown to adore. He doubted that the man even noticed how much the noises of his nails on brass or the whirring of machines calmed his mind.</p><p>“A good start. But it’s ominous. We don’t want to trigger them attacking Gizfall early. Since they are tense right now, we shouldn’t make the barrel overflow,” Seonghwa murmured with a faint nod. Yeosang tapped the piece of paper. He wanted to forgo the names this time. Wooyoung by now recognised the bird, and they shouldn’t cast suspicions on their friend.</p><p>“Then shouldn’t we be extra obvious? Like if I wrote to him as a distant uncle or something who came by for a visit, wouldn’t that be less ominous?”</p><p>“What if Wooyoung actually has such an uncle, though?”</p><p>Yeosang shrugged and began to write.</p><p>
  <em>Dear Wooyoung,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>After your many tales about the beauty of Asora, I can’t wait to greet you there soon! In due time, I will send another letter. This is the sixth bird I’m sending; I sure hope that this one arrives! The last one came back to me a week ago in the middle of the night and woke me from my slumber!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hope I won’t be woken in your magnificent Asora! See you soon in the following letter; then I will tell you the details of my stay! Also, keep me updated in case the politics get tenser, then we can move our meeting to another date!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Please stay safe and greet your parents from me!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Best Wishes<br/>Uncle Bricky</em>
</p><p>The other two hovered over Yeosang’s shoulders with curious eyes and read every word he put down. Jongho was slower at reading, but his voice was the first to point out the hidden meanings in Yeosang’s letter.</p><p>“You signed with Bricky because only he and we know the name!”</p><p>Yeosang gently leaned his head against his lover’s. A hum of affirmation escaped him when Seonghwa picked up the letter to scan the words carefully.</p><p>“Six birds, it’s six people arriving. In a week at night so he should stay up and await us. And if anybody finds the letter, they will either stop him from replying because they view it as a code or tell him to move the date so that they won’t be bothered. It’s the perfect ploy.”</p><p>Proud, Seonghwa looked down at Yeosang. The wind messed up his blond hair and made him look like a god of the skies as he stood above them.</p><p>Up ahead, the end of the cliffs finally appeared. Hongjoong’s ship soared high above it until they could look down on the shimmering white wonder that Asora was. Next to it, the grimy dark cloud that surrounded Zey contrasted eerily.</p><p>“In a week we will be there. And we will meet the king.”</p><p>Yeosang nodded with a triumphant smile on his lips.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello friends! So this book has ended now, and I will soon join you for the last one! For now, I will write another Seongjoong demon AU, if you want, check it out!</p><p>As usual, I thank everyone for their patience with my prolonged break, their support and every interaction you guys graced me with! It's always a huge honour and source of strength for me to see you enjoy my works!</p><p>I hope to see many of you again in book three! I will remember to notify you here once I post it ^^</p><p>So thanks again and bye!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>